Hound Of Gremory
by BrutalAftershock
Summary: Rias Gremory, desperately in need of a helping hand to save her future summons a legendary hero from human mythology. Some call him The Child Of Light. Others call him The Hound Of Chulainn. His teacher calls him a pain in the ass boy who doesn't have any manners and should stop calling her old. Everyone else knows him as the goodest of boys, Cu Chulainn.
1. Chapter 1

Hound Of Gremory

Chapter 1: Devil and Hound

Rias Gremory lay staring at the ceiling, crimson hair splayed over her pillow like shimmering streams of arterial fluid. Sleep evaded her again, as it had for several days now. She knew the clock was ticking as it had been for years now, but as the pendulum swung, the time she thought she had was now running out. She was past sighing at this point and opted to silently contemplate her situation. Despite herself she huffed another sigh, fatigue and stress wearing at her mind.

Marriage. She spat the word. Spat upon the very concept. She would refuse until she could refuse no more, she would be no bride of his. Riser Fenex could spontaneously combust for all she cared. She'd shrugged off her impending future while he and anything to do with him was out of sight and out of mind, but since he dared show his face earlier that day, she felt helpless. She'd put up a brave face against him, doing so to maintain her strong appearance for her Peerage. But it was a façade flimsily held together, that only cracked further when Issei was winded and knocked out by one of Riser's Pawns. Grayfia's steely, unknowable presence hadn't helped.

Then there was the final nail in the coffin. If a full Peerage, an experienced team, and a powerful nigh immortal King weren't enough, he had a Heroic Spirit on his side. Quiet, dignified, and on some level subtly sympathetic, she had introduced herself as Tomoe Gozen, as was customary in the dealings of Heroic Spirits and Devils. Secrecy was optional, and was a sign of good will when dealing with other factions who had Heroic Spirits of their own. Power had rolled off of that small woman in waves. Riser himself seemed wary of her, keeping his antics away from her. He seemed to pretend she wasn't there. He almost looked… threatened. Like a rebellious child who'd received a severe scolding.

Rias Gremory was a powerful Devil in her own right. Younger sister of the Great Satan, Sirzechs, she could channel raw destructive force as naturally as breathing, able to annihilate anything she took aim at from existence. The Crimson Ruin Princess. That's what they called her in the underworld. Yet for all of that, she was simply a young girl fighting against a fate she didn't choose with a man she hated.

She rolled over, blowing strands of her silken hair from her face as she frowned. It was all so frustrating. He had a Servant, a legend torn from the pages of history, while she was a fledgling Devil not old enough to have one yet. She would fight with every fiver of her being, but the sheer enormity and unfairness of it all was heavy. She needed someone. She'd happily make Issei her champion, but he was a newborn as far as Devils go, and about as experienced in Rating games as she was. No. She wouldn't do that to him. A Servant was what she needed. Powerful and loyal, who would fight for her and help her reach the bright future she sought. A faithful companion who she could trust with anything.

She slipped out of bed and took a deep breath. She steeled her resolve in that moment and strode towards the door. She knew what she had to do.

* * *

_The next day_

Where Devils were concerned, explosions were a common occurrence. However, explosions in the Occult Research Club head quarters were less so. Gathered in the lounge of the club house were the members of Rias Gremory's Peerage, choking on smoke and blackened by soot. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Rias considered her future being at stake as such a time. She was summoning a Heroic Spirit. Such a thing was a rite of passage amongst the Devils of the 72 Pillars, and while she hadn't had the approval of her brother to do so yet, her 18th birthday wasn't too long away anyway. What was a few months really?

"Did it work? I can't see anything." Issei said spluttering. Feeling around the floor as the resulting explosion had knocked him on his rear, he gripped something soft. He knew the feeling of hand on breast contact well, and while he wanted to smile, the fist to his face wiped away any trace of it.

"Perv." Koneko muttered before standing and dusting herself off. The petite girl sniffed the air and caught a beastly scent. It was heavy and musky, yet it wasn't like a typical smell. It was more like the feeling of sensing the energy of another being, like a Devil for instance. "Smells like dog." She said flatly.

"Who you calling a dog?" A voice from the smoke called. There was a flash of crimson as the smoke churned and was blasted away in a powerful gust of wind. Standing in the cleared area of the room was a tall man holding a blood red spear. He had long blue hair tied into a rattail to his mid back. Eyes like blood rubies gazed about the room, and he wore a deep blue bodysuit lined with silver over a lean, muscular physique, with two steel pauldrons on his shoulders. Two silver earrings hung on his ears, identical to the catalyst Rias had used in the ritual.

The combat ready members of the Peerage prepared for a fight, just in case they had summoned one of mankind's less than upstanding characters of antiquity. Rias stepped forward, feeling the itch of command seals bonding with the back of her left hand. She raised her hand and showed it to the man, who raised a brow in return.

"You're my master then?" He asked. Rias nodded. She felt that it was best to exercise caution. After all, making a good first impression on a powerful entity like a Servant was important. It wasn't unheard of for them to dislike their masters immediately, and some had very, very clear ways of showing their displeasure.

'I really hope you know what you're doing, Rias.' She thought to herself.

"Yes. I am Rias Gremory, the heiress of the Gremory household of Devils. Who are you?" She introduced, willing herself to sound strong despite the apprehension she felt in the presence of the Heroic Spirit.

"Yo! I am Lancer class Servant, Cu Chulainn. It's a pleasure." He said with a grin. Rias looked at him with recognition, her eyes lit up and a confident smile appeared.

"Wait, I know you. The Hound of Ulster, Ireland's Child of Light." She said, practically giddy. The smoke was clearing as Akeno dutifully set about opening the windows. She knew it was hazardous not having smoke alarms, and it really strained their presence as a club as they didn't meet regulations, but at least they could do rituals and only have to worry about opening the windows in the event of a fire.

Cu sat down and made himself comfortable, setting his spear down next to him against the arm of the sofa. "So, why'd you summon me?" While he liked his ego being stroked, he wanted to get down to brass tacks. There wasn't a Holy Grail War occurring, so he was curious why someone decided to summon him out of the blue.

"I desperately need help. We're going into a Rating Game against an experienced and powerful Devil who has a Servant as well as a full Peerage. We're down on numbers and lacking in power, especially with the Servant on their side." Rias said.

"Ara, Ara, don't skirt around the main issue, Rias." Akeno chuckled as she set about making tea. Rias sighed and sat on the edge of her desk, all papers blown off of it in the explosion.

"Huh? Main issue? Come on, can't start with the secret motives already, master." Cu said, his canines standing out to Rias as his grin remained.

"Basically I'm being forced into an arranged marriage with the Devil I've summoned you to fight. I want to be free to choose who I spend my life with, so I figured a Servant would give me the edge I need." She said, ignoring Cu's barb. He nodded and rested his chin on his hand.

"Right, right, politics of course. So you want me to take out the Servant on his side. Fair enough, you want a shot at your own freedom, so I can respect that. I'm also aware that Heroic Spirits are pretty commonplace in the employ of Devils, so you were gonna summon one at some point anyway, am I right?"

"Yes." Rias affirmed. Cu grinned and stood, flourishing his spear proudly.

"Well you've summoned the right Servant. I'm the best Lancer you could have gotten. I'll hold off on swearing my loyalty for now. In the meantime though, I'll just be happy to fight for you. Could use a good fight after being benched in the Throne for so long." He said, confidence and pride in his voice.

"That's all I ask." Rias said relieved. "I'd like to introduce you to my Peerage." She pointed to each member and said their names. Akeno chuckled flirtatiously and gave a small wave. Kiba smiled and nodded, as did Asia with a small bow. Koneko just nodded, while Issei inspected him with a scrutinising eye. Cu noticed and greeted him in his own way.

"Nice shiner you got there buddy." He said looking at the welt on the side of Issei's face. Asia was instantly by him healing the bruise, but she moved so quick Cu blinked, unsure quite how she moved so fast. However, Issei was deep in thought.

'Dammit! Handsome, muscular, and a legendary hero. He's super confident too! Just look at him! He's a threat to my harem dream!' Issei thought furiously, all the while Cu looked at him curiously.

"Uhhh, something on my face, kid?"

"You," Issei pointed "harem or not?" The question took Cu by surprise, but he laughed heartily and slapped his knee.

"Kid, I was a man of many women in my lifetime. Not so much now though. Why do you ask?" He said with a grin. Indeed in life he had quite the appetite for beautiful women, and while he always ended up waist deep in danger because of it, he just couldn't help himself. Hell, he was set up for marriage because the men of Ulster believed that unless he was married quickly, he would 'steal their wives and ruin their daughters'. He always smiled fondly and with unrestrained smugness at that. Thinking about it, he distinctly remembered having a son, Connla. Oh, perhaps more. Problems for another day.

"Don't mind him. He's has a dream of becoming Harem King some day." Rias answered with a small laugh. Cu laughed again and nodded approvingly.

"An admirable goal. But we're getting sidetracked. What can you tell me about this Servant then?" The Hound of Ulster asked.

"She's an Archer, said her name was Tomoe Gozen, a hero of the late Heian period." Rias said.

"Can't say I know who that is. But I've fought enough pain in the ass Archers in my time. Still, Archers have a nasty habit of pulling bullshit out of thin air. Literally in some cases." Cu groused, vaguely remember a red bastard and a golden bastard.

"But can't you just get up close?" Issei questioned flatly.

"There's more to it than that, kid. But this could be a problem." He said with a serious tone.

"How so?" Akeno asked.

"Archers are unique in being able to use a skill called [Independent Action], meaning that they can last a while after their master dies or the connection is severed. They can also work without orders and from long distances from their Master. So, she'll most likely try to snipe me and the rest of you from a kilometre away easily, while I specialise in one-on-one duels. I'll be relying on your skills, master."

"My skills? I've never managed a Servant before." Rias said.

"Sure you have. These guys are your Peerage, right? So you must have commanded them before."

"I suppose. We do engage in combat with Stray Devils. Fallen Angels more recently, but my Peerage mostly manage themselves." Cu shook his head and sighed.

"Well if you wanna earn your own future, you gotta be a little more proactive in getting me to do what you want. Specific orders. Luckily, masters can communicate with their Servants through the link they share through the command seals." He suddenly stood and grabbed his spear, his gaze fixed on the window. "Someone's listening."

"Someone's just crossed into our territory. Seems they've triggered the bounded field I set up." Akeno said as everyone turned their attention to the window.

"Feels strong." Koneko said, raising her fists. Cu felt sudden irritation and frowned, flourishing his spear as he felt the presence getting further away. [Presence Concealment], a skill that always got under Cu's skin. An Assassin has no choice but to disengage the skill before striking. However, it would seem that an exceptionally well made [Bounded Field] had been set up.

"An Assassin class Servant. Can't let them escape or they'll come back with a plan next time. Forgive me, but I'm gonna take off after them." Cu said, ignoring Rias' protest as he seemingly vanished, a gust of wind the only evidence he'd been there.

"Damn, he's fast. Didn't even see him move." Issei gulped.

"Whoever that Servant was, I'm amazed they managed to get so close. Nothing should be able to get so far past the barrier." Rias said. Whoever they were must have an especially good method of concealing their presence.

"Well aren't we gonna go after him? He said it himself, you need to command him, right prez?" Issei chimed in as [Boosted Gear] appeared on his arm.

"Alright, I'll get him to tell us where he is. Akeno, get the teleportation circle ready." She commanded. Akeno set about her task immediately. Everyone in the room was apprehensive, some more than others. Rias was almost felt dread, the sheer uncertainty of what Lancer was fighting terrified her as she had no idea whether he would be killed by a stronger Heroic Spirit, thus losing the edge she'd just gained against Riser. Everyone else had similar sentiments in regards to Cu Chulainn, afraid of their King losing her future.

Several tense minutes passed, and Rias gave the location of Cu's whereabouts to the Peerage. Akeno announced that the circle was ready, the previous one having been damaged in the explosive summoning of Lancer. They all gathered and then departed.

* * *

_OST: The Battle Is To The Strong Fate/Zero_

The speed at which Cu Chulainn travelled at was supernatural, easily leaping from roof, to telephone pole, to pylon, barely touching upon each before leaping again. Dirks flew from the shadows, whistling past him as he evaded and deflected them, some harmlessly losing all momentum as his [Protection From Arrows] skill rendered them useless. A burst of mana enhanced his speed and the air displaced around him, allowing him to catch up to the Assassin. The two clashed mid-air, the ring of their weapons sounded like a peel of thunder. Separating, Assassin turned, throwing another fan of dirks at Cu before taking off again.

Blending into the shadows, Assassin slithered into the darkness, leaping between alleyways and toward the abandoned church. Cu followed his movements keenly and went after him. He was soon in the woods surrounding the dilapidated structure. Immediately the attacks resumed, darting between the trees, Assassin slashed at Lancer in strafing runs, with Cu rapidly turning and twisting, blocking and parrying the attacks. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. He never could stand cowardly tactics, and Assassin was getting on his last nerve.

"Slippery bastard." He growled, setting into a low stance as he extended his senses, trying to predict where Assassin would strike from next. A twig snapped and he spun, eyes wide and a beastly sneer on his face. Assassin surged at him, a skull faced shroud of black with the dangerous glint of steel shining beneath his robes.

Sparks erupted like a storm of fireflies as Cu and the Assassin traded blows, each dodging and countering, going blow for blow at impossible speeds. Cu felt faster and stronger than he had before as his strikes felt more powerful, and attacks that got through his defence seemingly did less than their intended effect. The Assassin, exposed by the ferocious skirmish under the moonlight, was a gangly man with a white mask and an arm wrapped and bound in black cloth. He moved rapidly, jumping and evading, only striking when he perceived an opening. Each time, the Hound of Ulster's spear whacked the strikes away, countering in wide arcing swings and blindingly fast retaliatory jabs.

Cu Chulainn parried a blow aimed for his throat and caught the Assassin's arm between his own and the haft of his spear, forcing him to drop the wickedly sharp dirk, one of many, that he wielded. He kicked out, squarely impacting the midriff of the enemy Servant, sending him flying up and through a wall, crashing into the transept above with the sound of splintering wood and crumbling stone.

"_Lancer, where are you? What are you fighting?_" Rias called through their link.

"At the church down town. It's best if you don't follow me, Servants are dangerous, and as cowardly as Assassins are, they're masters at killing unwitting targets." Cu warned, his eyes and senses still looking for Assassin.

"Yo." Cu grimaced when he heard Koneko, without turning around, he knew the others were with her.

"Dammit. No matter what era I'm in, women just don't listen to me." He muttered. "It's that type I like too. Just my luck." He shook his head. "Keep your distance and watch your backs. Especially you, master. If you die, then I disappear."

"Don't worry about her, we've got got this." Issei declared with Boosted Gear deployed. Cu vanished again, shocking the others as he clashed with Assassin again. They tore up the ground with every movement, their weapons lit up the darkness with each contact, their staccato was piercing, sending cold shivers down the spines of Issei and Asia. Cu's way of fighting was the perfect blend of pure skill and animalistic ferocity, with openings in his defense occasionally appearing , but were recognised as far too dangerous to exploit for Assassin, as doing so nearly had him skewered or slashed several times.

'Geez, just what the hell did Rias summon? I can just about see them, and they're tearing the place up just by moving!' Issei thought as he watched disbelievingly. He staggered back as Lancer was suddenly in front of him, holding of a downward slice. The group scattered and readied themselves. Asia stayed near Akeno and Rias, their respective powers of lightning and [Destruction] flaring to life in their hands.

Assassin leapt over Cu and kicked him in the back making him stumble. The dark figure attacked the Devils, throwing dirks and slashing and stabbing. A glancing slash caught [Boosted Gear], the raw force of the attack sent Issei sprawling, utterly unprepared for the physical power a Heroic Spirit could muster. At the same time Akeno intercepted the thrown dirks with shields of magical energy that shattered upon impact with the mystical blades, again she too wasn't ready to deal with the power of a Servant as the impacts drove her down to one knee. She retaliated, conjuring her powerful lightning that forced Assassin to his utmost limits of his agility to dodge. Each crackle-boom strike of her lightning made the earth tremble, though she had to cease her assault as more dirks came her way.

"You okay, Akeno?" Rias shouted as she threw streams of destructive energy at Assassin, who somersaulted through the air and into a tree, only to dart away again as Kiba gave chase.

"Yeah. I didn't think a few daggers would pack such a punch. Heroic Spirits really are something, huh?" Akeno commented as she quickly stood back up, summoning last moment magic shields that once again exploded when the dark Servant's flying blades struck them.

"_It's important you sit this one out, master. You need to see first hand how battles between Heroic Spirits work. I'll keep the others alive, just stay out of it for now._" Cu instructed. She would never understand what being a master would entail if she interfered personally in this fight.

"_What? But-_"

"_Just listen to me, will ya'. I'm not saying don't help your friends, but you need to know just what you've gotten yourself involved with._" The Hound of Chulainn rebuked before she could make any argument. He hid it well, but he'd rather none of them be there in the first place. Rias he could accept, she was his master, enough said. But he hated that her friends were interfering with his fight. However, he was by no means an impatient man, nor a stupid one, battle hungry as he may be. He allowed this turn of events so he could gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the people he was going to be sharing his company with, and doubtlessly going into battle with.

Kiba's speed was impressive to be sure, but Assassin was far too quick, having no reservations in speed blitzing the Knight with slashes and stabs that Kiba could just about keep up with. He parried and countered where he could, and where he couldn't he would evade, narrowly avoiding the razor edges of Assassin. His defense kept him from taking fatal wounds, but he took cut after cut, puncture after puncture. His body was quickly riddled with very shallow gashes and stab wounds. Koneko wasted no time in launching a counter attack, managing to land a blow that knocked Assassin away, sending him rolling into a perfect recovery as he took to the air again. Koneko noted that the blow seemed to do very little, but at least she'd gotten him away from Kiba.

"Yuuto, get to Asia." Koneko ordered as she kept a defensive stance. Lancer stood by her and grinned. Despite his wounds, Kiba managed to quickly move to Asia to receive healing. Lancer had to commend the young swordsman for simply staying alive. With a lot of training, he was sure he would make an excellent warrior some day.

"A decent hit. Can't be too shabby if you can knock a Servant around." He praised, turning his gaze to Assassin. "You're a strong little kitty."

Koneko winced when he said that."Shut it, mutt." She deadpanned. Ordinarily Cu would cut someone down for insulting him like that, but it just seemed amusing coming from her.

"We need to keep him from escaping. If we keep him surrounded, he'll be overwhelmed. Assassins aren't front line combatants, and are total cowards. In the end, if we watch out for his cheap tricks and deny him an escape route, he's done for." Cu said both to Koneko and Rias over their link.

'Bastard moves like a snake. He keeps a constant distance, not fit for close combat. If I'm right, those daggers of his aren't necessarily lethal weapons. He stops using them once he sees what his opponent does to counter them. And that kick I gave him should have slowed him down. What else does he have up his sleeve?' Cu pondered, narrowing his eyes at Assassin.

"Do what you have to, Lancer. Take that Servant out." Rias commanded, her voice filled with authority.

"Just the command I was waiting for." He replied, his grin turning feral. The ground broke under him as he suddenly appeared behind Assassin and stabbed at his head. Only Assassin's extraordinary reflexes saved him as he weaved just beside the oncoming spearhead as it nicked his mask.

'Not even Kiba can move that fast.' Koneko tightened her fists and rushed into battle. The battle between Lancer and Assassin was a like a dance; beautiful, elegant, but ultimately lethal. Koneko took advantage of every blind spot she could find, making calculated strikes at Assassin's centre of mass when she could. It was clear to the eye that each time Assassin bent, slinked, and slipped around Lancer's spear, that it was done so with urgency, however he seemingly danced around Koneko's attacks tauntingly. Most times she tried, the gangly Servant evaded her, flowing with her movements simultaneously avoiding Lancer's attacks as his spine arched and flexed, contorting unnaturally in ways no human body should. She'd have done just as well trying to hit smoke. Assassin kicked out as he ducked under a jab from Cu, striking the small girl in the stomach and she hurtled into a tree that splintered with the force of her impact with it. She slumped limply to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Koneko!" Issei cried, but he'd drawn attention to himself, and Assassin took the opening to slash Cu's chest as he leapt away, rebounding from a tree and straight at Issei. He steeled himself for the oncoming assault from Assassin and threw Boosted Gear up to protect himself.

'Shit! This fucker's gonna kill me!' He panicked, not know what he could do. Looking at the Servant was like looking at death itself, and it was fending off everyone of his friends easily. He clenched his eyes shut tightly and waited. The clash of steel was almost deafening and after a moment that felt like forever, he opened his eyes to see Lancer had parried the blow meant for him. Cu spared him a millisecond glance.

"Dammit, move your ass will ya'!" Cu snarled, pushing Assassin away and taking off after him, not before hooking the blunt end of his spear under Issei and throwing him towards Rias. The dark Heroic Spirit perched in a tree looking down at his enemy. Cu glowered at him, spinning his spear and leveling it at Assassin.

"So, buddy, don't know what a snake like you is doing here, but I can't let you attack my master and her friends and get away with it. No point asking who sent you, so I'll just finish this here." Cu Chulainn shifted his grip and set himself low. Crimson prana burst from the spearhead like fire that rolled and ebbed fiercely. "I don't know how much you heard, but you're gonna find out who I am real good. My [Gae Bolg] will wipe you out!"

"Are any of you feeling that?" Kiba asked, looking around at the others, all with their own dumbfounded looks.

"The power radiating from him is incredible. I've never felt anything like it." Akeno commented, becoming a little hot under the collar as her sensitivity to magic was picking up every little sensation of his [Noble Phantasm's] energy. Rias simply stared in amazement. Whatever was coming she knew was going to be incredibly destructive and dangerous. Though she had no idea just what was going to happen. She did notice, however, that Assassin was no longer looking at Lancer or any of them, but had snapped his attention elsewhere in the distance. With a quick glance back at them, the shadowy Servant vanished without a trace. The dangerous prana around [Gae Bolg] died down and Lancer stood straight, leaning his spear against his shoulder.

"Hmph, coward." He said spitting on the ground. "Looks like his master ordered a retreat. By the looks of it, they had to use a command seal since Servants don't just teleport unless it's a part of their Noble Phantasm. And being an Assassin, it makes escaping much easier."

"So what the hell was he doing here?" Issei asked, eyes wide in bewilderment. He looked at Rias for an answer, but received none. Asia ran over to Koneko and began healing her. Her injuries weren't life threatening, but that single kick from Assassin had been enough to knock her unconscious.

"Well, whoever sent Assassin mustn't have known about the [Bounded Field] you made, Akeno. But someone would only send a Servant to gather information or to kill a master while they've got no defense. Got any enemies, master?" Cu asked as he walked over to Rias. She frowned in thought. Devils naturally had many enemies, whether they be from the church, Fallen Angels, or Stray Devils. She knew that powerful members the various factions summoned Heroic Spirits as their elite guard. But she didn't know who would send a Servant after her. As scummy as Riser was, she doubted he would send one, being as prideful as he was. Besides, she'd seen his Servant and that wasn't her.

"As a Devil it comes with the territory. But no one would do it unless they wanted to upset the delicate balance of the ceasefire the three factions have. If that Servant were to kill me, war would have followed." Rias said.

"Hmm. Oh well, everyone's alive and you've all seen a little of what Servants are capable of. Hope tonight was a learning experience, because it's only gonna get worse for you from here. There are gonna be Servants that will try to completely bypass me and go straight for you, master." Cu Chulainn warned, but smiled. "But with me around you won't need to worry about that."

* * *

_ORC clubhouse_

With everyone healed and sent home, the only ones that remained were Rias and her Servant. She had remained behind so she could privately speak with him, though she had little in the way of an idea what to speak to him about. Though she hid it from her Peerage, she was finding the whole situation a little overwhelming. She had summoned a figure from ancient human myth who was a cut above what she'd seen of most Devils. She'd seen him move faster than she'd seen anyone move before. His attacks would be unavoidable and lethal to average Devils. She couldn't be happier.

Lancer was sat on the sofa in the same spot he was before pursuing Assassin, his spear leant against the arm while he was splayed out, his arms over the back of the sofa with one leg resting on his knee. Looking at him, Rias noticed that the slash on his chest was gone, blood and the tear in his bodysuit also.

"So…" Rias began, "that was a lot to process. Also your wound is gone." She said. Where a shallow slash had been on his chest, only the deep blue of his bodysuit remained. No wound, no tear, no blood.

"Since we're linked together as Master and Servant, you supply me with mana to keep my existence in the present day stable. So if you die, I'd be soon to follow. Healing and patching up my equipment are things I can do with your mana as well, hence no hole." He said pointing to the spot Assassin's dirk had caught him.

"As for all of that, it's as I said, master. Someone sent that Assassin after you. But something doesn't seem right about it. I don't think he slipped up, but planned to reveal himself. I mean, come on, an Assassin doesn't enter the Throne of Heroes by being a klutz. Nah, that was some diversionary scouting or something." Cu said with a shrug.

"But why? If someone wanted me dead that would have been their best chance. They'd gotten so close that I'm sure they could have killed all of us if they were able, then why reveal themselves at the last second?" Rias was growing more confused by the second.

"Who knows, master. No point in stressing over it too much. A Servant only does what the Master says, so who knows what was going through Assassin's Master's head. I know we'll find out though, of that I'm certain." Cu shrugged, a smile tugging at his lips.

"If you're worried then don't be, I've got your back." He said with his smile growing into a confident grin. She was sure she saw one of his canines twinkle like a star. Still, she felt reassured by his declaration. His legend was one that taught the value of loyalty, and he never betrayed any master of his as his honour and pride as a warrior would never allow it. He was powerful too, so that helped immensely.

While she wasn't given to trusting so easily, Cu's presence strangely put her at ease. It had only been a short while, not even two hours, but she felt as if she were in unquestionably capable, safe hands with the Hound of Ulster.

"It's getting late, so I'd like to wrap up soon. Is there anything else that would be of immediate help as your Master?" Rias asked.

He explained that she could have him go into [Astral Form] if she wanted to conserve mana and have him remain unseen. This tied in with him saying that it would be best if he was around her person during her day to day activities so as to best protect her from harm.

"So if I were to take a shower…" she trailed off. Cu smirked.

"I'd absolutely have to follow you in. Just kidding. Unless…" Rias shook her head.

"Sorry, but no." She said bluntly. Cu have a short laugh.

"Damn, worth a shot." He said waving a hand casually. "But still, I don't expect you to let me shadow you literally everywhere, but keeping me as close by as possible at all times is a solid idea. Just think about it, but I won't force the issue. You're the Master here after all." Rias smiled.

"I didn't get to say so earlier, so I'll say it now. I look forward to working with you Lancer Cu Chulainn. I'll put my utmost trust in your abilities." She said earnestly.

"And I'll protect you and yours for as long as you need. I think we've got a lot of fun ahead of us, master." When Rias extended a small, slender hand, he took in and shook firmly with a wry grin.

* * *

Servant: Lancer

Name: Cu Chulainn

Gender: Male

Height: 185cm - 6'1

Weight: 75kg - 165lbs

Master: Rias Gremory

Bond Level: 1

Place of origin: Ireland – Ulster Cycle

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Parameters:

Strength: B+

Endurance: A+

Agility: A+

Mana: C+

Luck: D

Noble Phantasm: B+

Gae Bolg: Anti-Unit/Anti-Army

Gae Bolg is known as the heart seeking spear, and never misses its target. On a single opponent, the spear will warp cause and effect, making the spear impossible to avoid, but the lethality of the strike can be lessened with a significant enough Luck parameter, ranks A-EX having the greatest chances with only relatively minor injuries, and rank B and lower being grievous wounds to a single hit kill.

A secondary application of this Noble Phantasm is as a catastrophically powerful explosion whereever the spear tip strikes, capable of wiping out large numbers of enemies in a single blow.

Personal Skills:

Battle Continuation: A

Allows the Servant to fight on after sustaining fatal wound. In Cu Chulainn's case, he tied himself to a standing stone by his own entrails and fought an entire army before dying, handily slaying most of them. Even dead with his spear raised up, his arm dropped limp with Gae Bolg in hand and decapitated one final warrior.

Divinity: B

The Servant is distantly descended from a god or a direct descendant of one. This grants them divine aspects setting them beyond mortal boundaries. Cu himself is a demigod, son of Lugh, a mighty god of Ireland.

Rune Magic: B

Cu Chulainn was taught to use ancient and powerful rune stones by his teacher Scathach. They have various effects both offensive and defensive, but go mostly unused in his Lancer incarnation. His mana usage is less prominent and he is less capable of using magic than his Caster incarnation. Though the tunes themselves are still formidable tools.

Disengage: C

Makes it easier for the Servant to withdraw from a battle and reset the conditions of battle. Cu Chulainn can pair this with his supreme agility to reposition himself and reassess the field of battle quickly before reengaging the enemy. However, while he is a superb warrior, he dislikes disengaging the enemy, taking pride in single combat and would prefer to fight uninterrupted until its end.

Protection From Arrows: B

Provides the Servant with supreme protection from projectile weapons, as the wind itself will protect the Servant, throwing projectiles off course or stealing all momentum from them depending on the size and type of projectile. The Servant can also make seemingly impossible instantaneous calculations and predictions of projectile velocity and trajectory. The sound of the projectiles cutting the air, and the killing intent of the user can also be used to deal with and react to projectile weapons.

Class Skills:

Magic Resistance: C

Gives the Servant the ability to cancel out spells and their effects all together when used against the Servant. Higher ranks provide better protection against stronger spells.

Master link benefits:

Parameter boost: C

Gains a boost to core parameters through Rias' vast mana reserves by a factor of 1 + (A - A+) parameters at higher ranks, and one whole rank at lower ranks (E - D). They are quite compatible as Master and Servant, with Rias being open and willing to cooperate with Cu Chulainn, while he is simply ready to fight whatever she points at. Though with an uncertain and fresh relationship, the two have not fully gauged each other. Not every Master has the ability to raise their Servant's parameters, and so can share different benefits. As their bond strengthens, new benefits will rise and increase in effectiveness.

**Hey folks, BrutalAftershock here. Wanted to try my hand at some Fate/DxD stuff. Boy oh boy, is Fate complicated. I mean it's simple enough but there's just so much to it. Doing research for it was a bit of a challenge. But anyway, I decided that I wanted to write about everyone's favourite good boy Cu Chulainn. As for plans with this story, I'm not so sure where I'm going with it right now. I suppose just going with the main plot and doing side plots involving other Servants or having cameos from other characters would be the best option for now. I also just liked the idea of putting the intensity of Servant battles in the context of a Rating Game, hence the starting point just before the training segment before the Rating Game against Riser. Well, I hope you enjoyed, please tell my what you think in the reviews and throw some questions in if you have any. Bye for now. BrutalAftershock out.**


	2. Chapter 2

Hound Of Gremory

Chapter 2: Memories Of Lessons Past

Rias dreamed. Or she thought she was dreaming. In the non-space of her unconscious mind, where thoughts, feelings, and memories coalesced and blended together in a fog of sight and sound, Rias found herself somewhere she'd never been before. She could not move, only watch as the murky flow of her innermost mind warped and rippled around her.

Sound came to her first. It was the chirping of birds, the distant howl of wind and churning seas. Then sight. The murk shifted and the mist formed shapes around her. A castle. A grassy cliff of white chalk with the sea below lapping at the cliff side as grey clouds blanketed the sky with the occasional sun beam shining through. It was windy too. No wind shifted her clothing, in fact she felt nothing, not even the cold that made itself known through the dew on the grass.

Two figures moved swiftly, attacking and weaving around each other, striking with wooden staffs. One wore brown leather and steel with white animal fur around the sides and back of his neck. Dark blue hair in a rat tail swayed and whipped with his rapid movements.

"Cu Chulainn?" Rias whispered, recognising him upon seeing his face, much younger and slightly rounder than she had seen him. His eyes were different as well, not so hardened and self assured, but more innocent with a laxity to them. They were still the same bloody orbs as her Servants' though.

His opponent was who had taken her by surprise. She'd read up on her when studying Irish mythology, and how could she not have known her? This was the God Slayer, the Teacher of Heroes, ruler of Dun Scaith. A peerless warrior and accomplished magus in equal measure, the warrior woman Scathach. She wore a loose white linen tunic, with brass pauldrons. A pair of sandals with brass greaves were on her feet and shins. Her figure was slim and taut, trained to utmost perfection while losing absolutely none of her womanly charm. A picture of splendour belying a murderer of the divine. The wind shifted her purple hair as her red eyes bore into her students'.

"No way…" Rias muttered, her eyes locked on the duo. Just what was all of this? This couldn't be a dream, surely. This was like no dream she'd ever had, never feeling like a mere spectator to her own sleeping mind.

Setanta leaned back from a vicious swing and countered with several rapid jabs at Scathach. She avoided all but one, knocking the jab aside as she seemingly danced around them as her footwork was leagues beyond the young warrior's. His attacks would be hard for any ordinary mortal to avoid, let alone parry or block with his divine strength behind them, but to her he may as well have been moving at half speed.

She side stepped, turning her body and bringing her practice spear up and struck the youth on the back of the hand. She had expected him to let go, the blow enough to shatter the bones in the hand of the hardiest of warriors. Instead he brought the wooden weapon around, shifting his grip to the end of the spear for the most reach.

In a feat of sheer acrobatic skill, Scathach leapt over it and Setanta. She landed, smashing the haft of her spear into his ribs. His torso jerked to the side as pain jolted him, while Scathach drove her foot into the back of his right knee. He went down with a grunt, having no time to recover as he already turned to block the incoming strike to his head.

Whack! He had been too slow in raising his weapon.

"Ow! Dammit hag, why'd you do that!?" Cu Chulainn yelled having dropped his practice weapon to instead clutch a nasty lump on his head, blinking back tears that reflexively accompanied the stinging on his scalp.

"Setanta…" Scathach said with a sickly sweet smile on her face, "what have I told you about calling me that? I hit you because there was an opening in your guard, but now I think I'll hit you again for the hell of it."

"Ah! No, don't do that! You just took me by surprise is all, you don't look a day over thirty! Honest!" He said waving his hands placatingly. Rias shook her head.

"That wasn't much of a recovery, idiot." She said to herself. Just don't comment on a woman's age, it was simple enough. Scathach eyed her pupil, debating whether or not she would smack him again. She shook her head and let it go. She never could stay angry at Setanta. Well, most of the time.

"Either way you're still not quick enough. Had I been someone else, you'd be dead." She said sternly.

"I know, I know! I'm not an idiot." Setanta replied with a frown.

"That remains to be seen. You'll be an idiot right up until the moment I actually have to try to hit you." She countered.

Rias watched the two bicker back and forth for some time before the scene shifted again, the two figures swallowed up by the dream mist before emerging again, seemingly at a later point in time. The two looked the same in their attire, but Cu Chulainn's face looked different. He looked more assured, confident in his movements. Those eyes were harder, but not by much.

They were inside of Scathach's castle, sat opposite each other with a table between them with eighteen rune stones laid out on its surface.

"You recall what I taught you yesterday, yes? Surely Ferdiad didn't beat the knowledge of the Primordial Runes out of that dense head of yours." Scathach asked. Her finger tapped rhythmically on the table as she closely scrutinised Setanta. The youth stared at the rune stones silently for several heartbeats.

"Huh, you say something?" He asked suddenly snapping out of whatever distracted daze he was in.

Whack!

"How!? I didn't even see you move that time!" He whined rubbing the sore spot on the top of his head.

"Are you deaf as well as stupid? I asked you a question!" Scathach hissed impatiently.

"With how much you smack me upside the head, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not as bright as I used to be, you damn hag!" Setanta bit, immediately regretting his words. He just couldn't help himself.

"This is a far cry from the warrior I summoned. They're almost completely different people. He's just like a kid. Too stubborn and prideful for his own good. How far back am I seeing?" Rias wondered. She had already surmised that she was looking at a memory. While she wasn't well versed in the deeper intricacies of the Master/Servant relationship, what information she had absorbed had mentioned the sharing of memories between the two.

"You bring it on yourself. You lack discipline, boy. I will make you learn, or kill you trying." She warned, any traces of warmth gone from her voice. She said this as Scathach the warrior. Not Scathach the teacher. That got the youth's attention.

"You sought me out, remember? You passed my trials and gained entry into my lands. I accepted you under my tutelage. You have potential, that is why I train you. But remember this, Setanta," her voice was like the wind, and his name was the bitter chill, "there will be warriors greater than you who pass through these halls long after you are gone. Whether you die today or as an old man on his death bed, I will teach someone greater than you in every way."

There was silence. Neither said anything for a long time. Rias could hear the fire crackling in the braziers on the walls, the wind through the halls and waves crashing outside. It was raining.

"Is that right?" Setanta said, his gaze hard and locked on his clenched fists under the table. He threw his head up and met his teacher's eyes, burning determination in his blood ruby orbs.

"Yes. Unless you care to prove me wrong. But I doubt you will." She challenged with a shrug, fighting the triumphant smirk that was doing its damnedest move her lips.

"Alright then. You're right, I sought you out, so I'm gonna take it all! I'll prove I'm worth your time, and I'll prove that I'll be the greatest apprentice you'll ever have!" Setanta declared standing up and slamming a fist on the table. This time Scathach really did smirk.

"Bold words, boy. But words are simply that, words. Prove it to me. Show me this resolve!" She encouraged, a hint of warmth back in her voice as she gave her apprentice a small smile. Setanta nodded energetically, then the scene was once more obscured by fog.

* * *

The summer heat beat down on the Peerage as they carried luggage and equipment up the long dirt road towards the private summer house belonging to the Gremory family. It was a good choice of locale. It was isolated, several miles beyond Kuoh's borders nearing the next prefecture. It was stocked with food and provisions at Rias' request, and there was plenty of empty land with tree coverage and hills. Peaceful, private, and all to themselves.

Rias and Akeno walked ahead chatting between themselves, dressed lightly for the weather. Behind them, Koneko and Kiba followed carrying their share of luggage. Koneko however carried a very large, almost absurdly so, sack of training equipment on her back. It was so large it dwarfed her by several times in both size and weight. Asia walked happily between the two, while Issei shambled at the back struggling with his comparatively modest load on his back.

"Guys, wait up! I'm dying here!" Issei wheezed, both weight and heat wearing down at his body and resolve. He was sweating buckets and gasping for breath.

"Come on, kid! You ain't gonna get stronger with that attitude!" Lancer called with a smirk. Issei glared at him. The Heroic Spirit was leisurely resting with his hands behind his head and one leg across the other at the top of the tarp on Koneko's back.

"If you're so strong why aren't you carrying anything?" He replied.

"Wasn't told to. Besides, Koneoko's got it handled. Right, kitty cat?" Lancer said, patting the load she carried that he was also lying on. He felt a sudden jolt, feeling the entire load of equipment shift and tip to the side and he scrambled to stay on. Koneko muttered something only she could hear.

Lancer himself looked no different, still wearing his blue armoured body suit. He'd brought some things, bought last minute by Rias. Luckily the Hound of Ulster wasn't too picky, so the impromptu shopping trip went smoothly. Though for the life of her, Rias had no idea why he picked out such a god awful Hawaiian shirt.

So far, Issei couldn't really say he liked Lancer all that much. He rubbed him the wrong way, and his smug attitude was really annoying. Deep down, Issei knew he was the weakest link on the team. Rias was Rias, that was enough to be better than him. Akeno was a sadistic magical powerhouse. Kiba was a good looking, smooth, badass swordsman despite looking like a twink. Koneko could probably punch his head off of his shoulders with meagre effort. Asia could heal the team, so she would always be needed. And then there was him. Slow, weak, ignorant Issei.

And then Lancer showed up. He was stronger than Koneko. Faster than Kiba. Supposedly had stronger magical abilities than Akeno through his rune stones. Could most likely heal himself and the team faster than Asia with his runes. He'd made himself so much more valuable to Rias than he ever was, and it sucked.

He really thought he'd fallen straight to the bottom of the totem pole to stay there. There was just no way he could make up the difference between them in any short amount of time, and that was excluding the basic facts of what they were. He was just some kid who got mixed up in things he had no business involving himself with. Lancer was a legend. A piece of history crystallised and immortalised in the fabric of the world. His legend had spanned the world over, up there with King Arthur, Heracles, Medusa, and other people from myth.

He shook his head with a huff. They'd come to train, and had the chance to improve. Surely he couldn't suck complete ass forever, right? He carried on trudging his way up the hill, his thoughts slowing him more than the heat.

"Ah, finally! We made it." Rias said with a stretch. The others set about removing bags and taking them to where they would be emptied. Akeno remained with Rias, as did Cu Chulainn and Asia.

"You should have carried something, master. If you're not careful your arms will get all weak and doughy." Lancer said.

"I have ten days to train with everyone. My arms will keep their strength, thank you." Rias replied. The entire trip to the retreat, she'd thought hard about that piece of Cu Chulainn's past, those days where the only name he knew was Setanta.

"And what'll you be doing"?" Lancer asked. While he was her Servant, he wasn't about to let her sit back and relax. He didn't doubt she would put in effort, but he wasn't going to let her take it easy. He was going to help her train as a Master, and if she commanded it, the others with areas they needed to improve. As for Rias, studying the intricacies of the contract between a Master and Servant was a top priority. The amount she had learned already had given her a headache. The tomes she'd dug out of her brother's library were more like legal documents.

When Devils summoned Heroic Spirits, the class of the Servant would affect their role within a Devil's Peerage. The Knight classes; Sabre, Lancer, and Archer, served as front line combatants and close body guards of the Kings. However the Cavalries; Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker, served the most diverse range of roles.

Riders served a similar role to the Knight Classes, but with a higher emphasis on mobility and depending on the Rider, transport the King to wherever they needed to go.

Casters were teachers, tacticians, and advisors. They gave their counsel on numerous matters from battle tactics, to politics and diplomacy, as well as helping the King and their Peerage towards their goals magically.

Assassins served as spies, surveillance, and as their namesake suggested, assassins. Berserkers were a battering ram used to smash through whatever problems the Peerage was having.

Each Peerage had access to one Servant by tradition, and a Devil family could accumulate several, and could use them to aid Peerages within the family, going so far as occasionally trading them with the Heroic Spirit's consent. In turn, once the Command Seals were used up, the contract was frozen and it was then up to the Servant to establish the contract once more.

This rule was established to give the Heroic Spirits a degree of control within the Master/Servant dynamic. There were laws in place to protect the Servants too, as they were an integral part of higher Devil society, serving as guardians and guides to Devils to keep them from going extinct.

Angels were capable of utilising Heroic Spirits as well, however there was a difference in moral alignment between the Servants Devils and Angels could summon. Both could summon neutral Servants, while righteous and evil Servants were for Angels and Devils respectively. Morality on the summoner's part played little into the Servant summoned. Devils were of dark natures, and Angels were the inverse, and so the Throne Of Heroes assigned Heroic Spirits to their summoner based solely on that factor.

Rias looked at where Issei had been just moments before. "I'll be assisting in Issei's development. He has a lot of potential, but he lacks confidence. I want him as strong as possible by the time we come to face Riser." She said.

"Right, right, but you haven't said anything about yourself. Aren't you gonna train your own abilities?" Lancer pressed, not satisfied with her answer. Rias' brow furrowed slightly.

"I'll worry about that, Lancer. My Peerage comes first." She said with a tone that brooked no argument. Lancer didn't say anything for several moments before shrugging.

"Whatever you say, master." He turned and left, to where, no one could be sure. Rias then addressed her Peerage, each unsure how to gauge the interaction between Master and Servant. However Akeno was troubled despite her usual smiling appearance.

Rias clapped her hands together and smiled brightly. "Alright, everyone, get unpacked and get ready. Training starts today."

* * *

It was only the first day. That particular thought played on Issei's mind as he slipped into the water. The place they were staying had an extremely lavish outdoor bath that bubbled and steamed gently surrounded by expensive bronze and marble statues. The hot water eased the aches in Issei's joints, soothed the welts on his torso and arms, as well as distracted him, though not entirely, from how far behind he was behind everyone else.

Sword practice had been humiliating. No move he made was quick enough, and everything he tried was utterly transparent to Kiba. His footwork was nonexistent, his form was barely even a form, and his head hurt from repeated blows after being disarmed. Hand-to-hand with Koneko was pretty much the same. Where Kiba's speed was on a whole other level to Issei's, Koneko's strength and martial technique made him look like an infant who'd been stuck on a merry-go-round for eight hours.

Magic training with Akeno had fared only slightly better. While he hadn't sustained any injuries, his pride took a blow. He couldn't control his own imagination and lewd thoughts about Akeno's honkers, let alone his own flow of mana. Asia handily outperformed him in the department of magic, seemingly mastering control of her output and visualisations within the afternoon. He sighed and slid down to sit on a marble step beneath the water. Kiba was distractedly washing himself at the opposite side of the pool, wrapped up in his own thoughts.

Issei suddenly felt the water displace next to him. When he looked, Cu Chulainn was sat arms length away from Issei, his elbows resting on the marble at the pool's edge with his head back and hair loose.

'Dammit! He's freaking jacked! What the hell man, as if I didn't feel bad enough!' Issei simmered silently as he took his view from Lancer and to the smooth stone wall separating the ladies from the men. The rub-it-in-cherry on top of the feel-bad-cake just had to show up. Great.

"Ah… gotta say, I never expected to be doing this with my shitty luck." Cu mused with a satisfied grin on his face. He couldn't remember if he'd ever enjoyed such a thing in the past. Sitting in a river or occasionally a basin of boiled water was the best he got in life. Warm water, space, bubbles, open air, all things he couldn't have dreamed of all at once. Yet here he was enjoying it all. Being summoned by Rias must have been some stroke of divine providence, rather ironically.

"I don't suppose things like this would have been too common in your time, Lancer." Kiba said as he scrubbed down one of his arms.

"Not in my homeland, kid. It was either you found a stream with the least amount of leeches or you sat your ass in a big basin of boiled water."

"What was it like back then? You don't need to answer or anything, but I feel like I'd be wasting a huge opportunity if I didn't ask that at least." Kiba said. Cu tilted his head in thought and hummed.

"Different. Way different. Any Heroic Spirit'll tell you that if they're from anywhere near as far back as my time. The 'Age Of Gods' they called it, a time when gods and mortals were walked side by side. I'm a product of that time, being a demigod and all."

"Demigod?" Issei piped up in surprise. Cu kept his eyes half lidded, staring at the full moon as he spoke.

"Yup. Human woman and the sun god, Lugh. Gods did that kind of thing all the time back then." He chuckled. "But you wanted to know what it was like back in those days, right?"

"Were there monsters and stuff?" Issei asked, momentarily putting his dislike of Cu Chulainn aside for curiosity's sake.

"Ha! Were there monsters? They were as common a sight as the birds and the trees, kid. Out in the forests and countryside you couldn't go five minutes without hearing about some Fomorian eating someone or their sheep, or a Dullahan claiming someone's soul." Cu said with a laugh.

"Though thinking about it, the world now feels a bit closer to how it used to when I was alive. Probably explains why Devils are basically everywhere." He shrugged. Cu looked at Issei.

"So, how's the training going? Any progress?" Issei suddenly felt his inadequacy come flooding back with the change of subject. He hesitated in answering long enough for the Hound of Ulster to notice. "What's wrong? Screwed it up?"

"N-no! I'm just… making slow progress is all." Issei said indignantly. Cu raised an eyebrow, utterly unconvinced.

"Uh-huh…" For several moments he watched Issei, noticed how the young Devil refused to make eye contact with him, and seemed to dislike his presence. Not that it bothered him, Rias' was the only opinion he really cared about, and even then only because she was his master. "Take your time. No one becomes a warrior over night, my teacher would tell you that."

Several minutes passed and the three relaxed quietly. Then Cu stood up and stepped out of the pool. "Think about why you're even doing this. Once you figure that out and make it your singular goal, you'll start making some real progress." Saying no more, he walked away and went back inside.

* * *

Several nights passed, and with them several hard days training. Slowly but surely, Issei's discipline and knowledge grew. Cu Chulainn's words stuck with him. What was his reason? Rias obviously, but there was something more. Issei couldn't quite find a deeper reason within himself besides helping Rias. He spent hours into the night pondering when he should have been sleeping, asking himself questions. No answers came, greatly frustrating him.

One thing was going his way though. His brand new Dress Break technique was improving by leaps and bounds with Asia's diligence and ridiculous abundance of clothes. Thanks to her, he had unshakable faith in their new ability, and pride swelled within him.

He and Rias crossed paths after he had made to return to his room after finishing a glass of water. Like he'd seen her the past few nights, a dusty old tone containing the ancient rules and lore of Rating Games was clutched in one hand, the spine of the book showing more wrinkles and creases than before.

He accompanied her outside by her request, and she discussed the battle plan with him that she had formulated, with Cu Chulainn's help. It wasn't lost on either of them that the normally boisterous Heroic Spirit had been strangely quiet and absent as of late, venturing off into the surrounding woods and mountains by himself.

Rias placed the book down next to where she sat and removed her glasses. Bags were beginning to show, and two red imprints were left where the nose pads of her glasses sat on either side of her nose. She hadn't slept properly for several nights, even before they came to train. Between her future being at risk and the dreams of Cu Chulainn's past, sleep was fleeting.

"Are you alright, Rias? You look so worn out." Issei said, looking at her with concern. She smiled despite her tiredness.

"I'll be fine. I'll make sure to sleep before we face Riser, but before then I need to study and train you as much as possible." She said with a sigh. "I have to do this, Issei. If I don't run myself ragged now, then our chances of winning decrease."

Issei frowned and looked down at himself. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't have opened my mouth and told Riser to shove it, we wouldn't be here right now."

"No, Issei. It's actually thanks to you that I have this opportunity to tell my father and brother where to shove it."

"Huh?"

"When it comes to Devils, titles and family are everything. The individual doesn't matter. Because if that, I'll forever just be a Gremory. Rias doesn't factor into anything, and so I've adjusted my whole life around that." Rias could see the pained look on Issei's face.

"But make no mistake, I wear the Gremory name with pride. However, marriage to someone because of a family name is something I hate. I want to share my life with someone who loves me as Rias, not the daughter of House Gremory."

"Well I like you." Issei said, not at all shy about it. "Gremory doesn't mean anything to me at all. It's just a title, and anyone who would define you by that doesn't know you at all. I like you for who you are, as Rias. That's it." Issei had no idea where his sudden boldness came from, but he knew it was too late to turn back now. He just hoped she accepted his words without laughing. "You've done so much for me. Brought me back to life, gave me new friends… you're incredible. I wanna pay you back some day."

Rias looked surprised at Issei's words, but she took them to heart. Issei suddenly felt nervous again. "O-oh, uh, did I say something stupid again?" He asked sheepishly. Rias smiled and shook her head.

"No, not at all. But as I was saying, I won't rest until we win. Riser and his Peerage may have immortality on their side, but even immortals can be beaten."

"I've seen your power too. You've got some serious nicknames because of that, and some dude named after a bird can't top that." Issei said assuredly. Rias was truly grateful for his faith in her.

"Not true. I may be able to destroy things very quickly and easily, but Riser has the ability to recover from any injury. Even if his team fell, as long as he stood he could take the game. However if the rest of you fall, I will too and vice versa."

"But you have Lancer don't you? Compared to him, the rest of us are useless, especially me!" Issei snapped, though not angrily.

"Issei?" Rias' green eyes widened, wondering why he would say that.

"He's better than us in every way. Better at fighting, better at magic, everything. I've only seen him fight once and that was enough to tell me he could do our job better than we ever could." Issei continued.

"Stop right there, Issei." Rias ordered. She stood from her seat walked over to him. Her eyes were gentle as she placed a soft hand to his cheek. "I didn't summon Lancer to replace you or the others. There are things the rest of you do and always have that he doesn't and I would never ask of him." She smiled at him, noticing a faint look of relief across his face.

"I know where you're coming from, you want to be useful to me, and as your master that makes me happy, but I don't want you thinking you're any less valuable. You're a new Devil, and you want power. I know. But it takes time, and no one was born legendary. With a push in the right direction, you'll be strong enough to to take on the world some day."

"Y-you… think so?" Issei perked up, making Rias smile once more.

"I know so." It made her happy seeing Issei nod with renewed confidence. If she believed in him, Issei would too. She could see he still held doubts, mostly in himself, but if she could get him to believe in himself just a little, then it was a start.

Issei bade her goodnight and headed back to bed. Sighing, she turned and looked out over the moonlight grassy hills and the large pond.

"So that's what was eating him." Lancer said as he appeared, coming out of his astral form. His arms were crossed over his chest and he leaned against the column Rias had retaken her seat against, once again reading her book, her finger tracing the words.

"I haven't known Issei long, but he's an open book. Look long enough and he can't hide anything." Rias said fondly. Lancer supposed that was something in Issei's favour. He couldn't stand liars. "You've probably noticed, but he's not exactly confident in his abilities, and I can see it bothers him. He wants to be like the rest of us."

"And he already felt like he was at the bottom of the totem pole, right? I've known many a warrior like him. Scathach, my teacher, tutored apprentices that resented Ferdiad and I because we had her favour. They did stupid shit to win her attention and typically died because of it." Cu said.

"I'll have to do my best to make sure that doesn't happen then. However, there was something else I wanted to discuss with you, Lancer. The real reason I asked to to come here."

"Go ahead." Cu said with a nod. Rias took a breath before speaking.

"It's a common phenomenon for a Master to see pieces of their Servant's past while they sleep. To get to the point, I saw some of yours." She explained, earning her an interested look from the Heroic Spirit.

"Oh yeah?" He waited for her to continue.

"I saw you training with your teacher," she smirked, "you got manhandled by the way." Lancer blinked several times, his red eyes darted away as a wave of embarrassment hit him. It was the first time she'd seen such a reaction. While their relationship was brief, Rias felt she had a handle on how he would feel about being bested. He had a warrior's pride, and she felt that he would feel no shame in losing to a martially superior foe in direct combat. However, it seemed to her that Scathach uniquely stirred something in him.

"She was better than me, what did you expect?" He muttered curtly. "Get on with it." Rias chuckled despite his heated response and continued.

"I saw you two sparring. Then I saw her lecturing you on the runes you use. So what I wanted to know is if there's anything you can teach us before we fight Riser."

Lancer clicked his tongue and his lip curled. "That it? Should have asked sooner. Sure, whatever, I'll teach you." He was never one to stand on ceremony. If his master wanted to learn then he would teach her what he could. He would teach her the basics of fighting with and against Heroic Spirits, despite how case by case such fights were.

"That's great, thank you, Lancer!" Rias said happily. Her tired green eyes shone with hope now. Despite himself, Cu Chulainn smiled.

"Ha! Don't go thanking be yet, master. You'll probably hate me after this."

* * *

In Cu Chulainn's lifetime, hardly any mornings went without an ass whooping. Now he was taking great satisfaction that it wasn't him taking it this time. Lancer was already on the move after kicking Kiba away from him. His sudden burst of speed had him easily evade a two pronged assault from Akeno's lighting from above, and from a combo-ready Koneko from the right. The ground exploded and blackened where Cu stood a moment before.

Cu turned, throwing Gae Bolg like a javelin up at Akeno, who had only a fraction of a second to react, turning as the spear tore a long opening in her top. Bra exposed, she was grateful it hadn't hit.

The Servant came to a halt, spinning on his heel to intercept the incoming punch from the small Devil. A forearm swept her punch aside, while an open palm came up and smashed into her ribs. Her feet left the ground and spittle flew free of her mouth as she was thrown from him, rolling to a stop several meters away. Shakily, she stood and wiped her mouth.

"Quite the troublesome opponent." Akeno said, landing softly next to Koneko.

"Yeah…" the small Devil replied as she focused on getting air back into her body. That palm strike had knocked the wind from her, and she knew that the mutt was just playing around.

"He's too agile. If anything, we'll need to find a way to keep him from moving." Koneko surmised.

"So we'll have to bind him somehow…" Akeno said, suddenly flushing with excitement as her inner sadist coloured her thoughts.

Meanwhile, Kiba has rejoined the fight. He had been keeping up with Cu Chulainn, not quite matching him but he was doing what he could. Kiba was a skilled swordsman, and an experienced combatant, and despite Lancer's deliberately slowed movements, he was learning to read his movements and his defensive flow. But that was it, he was defending. Lancer was simply reacting to what came at him. He weaved around sword blows and stepped back from vicious arcs. He playfully slapped the sword blade away with his palms when he didn't feel like dodging.

The Knight swing out in a flashing arc aimed for Lancer's midriff. The agile Servant saw it coming in what might as well have been slow motion, and leapt up and over Kiba in a flip, twisting in midair. Once he landed, he drove a fist into Kiba's side, making him jolt. The Knight turned to retaliate, but was too slow.

Whack!

Kiba dropped his sword, uncharacteristic for him, and clutched the top of his head, having received a chop from Cu Chulainn's hand. Without a word, Lancer kicked Kiba again, sending him sprawling on his back. His battle sense tingled, and he quickly flipped away and landed in a crouch as a bolt of Rias' destructive energy left a blackened, football sized in the ground. She hung in the air, wings spread and hands raised with crimson mana burning around them.

More came, and Lancer zigzagged in the blink of an eye from spot to spot. It looked as though he was simply appearing and disappearing with only the holes left by Rias' blasts behind him.

"Rias, look out!" Issei called out as he spotted a red streak of light cutting through my the air behind Rias. Cu Chulainn held his hand out, and Gae Bolg was obediently returning to its wielded. A rippling sound like beating wings rushed just past Rias' ear as the heart seeking spear slapped back into Lancer's waiting palm.

Wasting no time, Lancer sprinted briefly before leaping high into their air, clearing the distance between himself and his master. He leant back and raised a leg with a twist of his whole body, ready the land a seriously powerful kick to her side. Rias' green eyes widened and her pupils shrunk to pinpricks.

"Gotcha!"

Two blurs, one white, one flecked with gold and red intercepted Lancer, his kick falling only scant centimetres short of his target as the steel tip of his boot ghosted past the bridge of her nose.

Koneko hand taken the force of the kick as she grappled Cu's leg, while Issei had locked his arms under the Servant's armpits and joined his hands behind his neck. Issei Hyoudou had just put Cu Chulainn in a full nelson while Koneko shifted her grip to a leg lock all while mid air.

Issei grinned as the three came crashing to the ground. "Bet you weren't expecting me, huh?" Cu gave a single chuckle, privately somewhat impressed.

"Before you boast…"Cu slammed the back of his skull into Issei's nose. The Red Dragon Emperor's grip loosened, and Cu flung him off while twisting and slamming Koneko's back into the dirt as he landed in a low crouch, right leg extended with Koneko still latched on. Winded, Koneko let go. Cu stood and grinned over his shoulder at Issei, who was standing up. "…Make sure you've actually got me."

"It's not me who's got you." Issei smiled smugly, much to Cu Chulainn's confusion. Ice, magically charged and extremely dense, erupted around his legs. Akeno stood next to Rias with her usual sweet smile on her face.

"Ice magic really isn't my thing, but it has its uses." She said jovially. Lancer looked around as his master and her Peerage closed in on him. A smile broke out on his face.

"Tch, clever. Alright, I'll put a little effort in now. You asked for it!" Cu Chulainn challenged the Devils as he rather easily tore his legs free of the ice by taking two powerful steps forward.

The remainder of the morning was a beat down, and Asia was made quite busy.

* * *

"So Lancer, what have you been doing all this time. Besides today, I've hardly seen you." Rias asked as she took a seat beside Cu on the grass. She held an ice pack to her head. She'd told Asia not to worry about the couple of welts she had incurred from Cu chopping her on the head. As they sat, they watched the others train. There were various thuds, bangs and booms as punches connected, bodies hit the grass and spells flew.

Cu sat on the grass with a single green blade hanging from the corner of his mouth. He'd started wearing that awful Hawaiian shirt along with a pair of black jeans and casual shoes. It was different, but overall pleasant to see. Combat ready was all well and good, but seeing him look more normal removed the aura of an all conquering hero of myth from him.

"I went to go hunting and fishing." Cu replied.

"Hunting and… fishing?" Rias parroted curiously.

"Two skills a warrior should keep sharp off the battlefield. They're fun. Couldn't find any boar up there. Or any fish for that matter." He was quite disappointed.

"Besides, I figured the kid wouldn't be able to focus too well with me around. I figured he'd try something stupid to prove himself to you or something." Cu shrugged.

"I could see that. Thank you, Lancer. That was considerate of you." Rias said gratefully. Cu side-eyed her.

"Whatever. Just don't think he's over it yet. A young man's heart can be a furnace stoked by the smallest things. That flame can burn hot for a long time, and you'd never know. Just keep working with him." Cu said as he lay back on the grass.

"That was pretty insightful." Rias said. Cu scoffed and spat the blade of grass from his lips.

"Nah. Something else my teacher said. Knew a person's heart at a glance, that woman."

"You seem to respect her a lot." Rias observed. Even in her visions of her Servant's past, she could see that despite his taunting and general misbehavior, he still maintained a quiet respect for Scathach and her teachings. He may have annoyed her, joked at her expense, and made her regret being immortal sometimes, but he never once wasted her time.

"Well yeah, of course I do." Cu replied with a shrug and said nothing more on the matter. Rias couldn't be sure, but she got the feeling that as much as he adored his teacher, he didn't like talking about her. Rias decided pressing for more information wasn't a good idea.

"I'm gonna see how Issei's doing. Wanna come?" Rias asked. Cu sat up and shook his head.

"Nah. I'll probably just throw the kid off. I'm gonna try my luck in the mountains again."

She stood and went over to her Peerage, coming to a halt next to Akeno while Issei sparred with Koneko. Cu looked at the forested mountains around them, sighed, and disappeared into the woods looking for boars once more.

"Alright, Issei, I want you to use your Boosted Gear." Rias instructed. Issei and Koneko stopped their bout, a decidedly one sided one, and listened. Issei looked at his master curiously.

"Huh? But I thought you didn't want me to use it here."

"I said I didn't want you to use it without my permission." Rias clarified. She looked at her Knight. "Kiba, I want you with Issei for this." Dutifully as ever, Kiba obeyed and raised his practice sword at Issei.

Issei called Boosted Gear and the crimson gauntlet materialised on his left arm. The green jewel on the back of his hand glowed brightly as power began to be drawn into it.

"Boost!" The voice of Ddraig bellowed. Over and over, Rias encouraged him to keep increasing his power. Eleven more times Ddraig called out, "Boost!"

"Twelve power ups? Wow, a new record." Akeno said smiling.

"Explosion!" Ddraig's voice came again. A new call from the Boosted Gear.

"Alright Issei, that's enough. Now, release that power. Kiba you're up!"

"Alright Issei, I won't be holding back this time, got it?" Kiba said. He gave Issei no time before lunging and clashing with the Red Dragon Emperor. Gold patterns cooled around the gauntlet as power pulsed and ebbed through it. He pushed Kiba back and the Knight landed several meters away.

"Use all of that power on him now." Rias commanded. Issei thrust out his gauntleted hand and spread his fingers. In is palm, a small but incredibly dense ball of energy floated, just waiting to be unleashed. Issei's confidence wavered.

"What, is that all I've got?" Rias saw that look on his face, the face of inadequacy. Resolute, she sought to change that.

"Trust yourself Issei!"

With a mighty shout, Issei pulled back his fist and threw a wild haymaker at the ball of energy. The world for a brief second turned white.

* * *

"Come here you little bastard! I won't be outdone by a damn piglet!" Cu yelled angrily as his beastly agility had apparently failed against a week old boar piglet.

He'd been chasing it for a while, but finally, he'd cornered it. He grinned as he raised Gae Bolg, ready kill the creature and take it back to eat. He brought the spear down, but suddenly stopped. Seeing this hesitation, the piglet ran away. However, Cu Chulainn was too distracted to care as the mountain began to rumble.

"The hell? This isn't a volcano is it?" He looked around confused as the rumbling got closer. Then it started getting hot. "Jeez, just my-" he saw a bright light approaching and it was annihilating the trees towards him. He, the mountaintop, and the trees exploded.

* * *

Rias and the others looked on in astonished silence at the carnage wrought by Issei's attack. A long and wide trench had been carved up the mountain through the forest, finally exploding at the top of the mountain, turning the mountaintop to pebbles and dust.

"Damn… look at that. He broke the mountain." Koneko said.

"Issei really did that…" Asia gasped. Rias grinned, positively giddy at this development.

"What do you think, Kiba? He's improved." She said, barely containing her excitement.

"Sure has. That attack was stronger than anything he's thrown at me before." Kiba said as he looked over his destroyed practice sword. Issei looked at the destruction he'd caused, and while he wanted to be excited, he felt his legs giving out.

"That… took more… outta me than I thought." Issei almost collapsed, but was quickly held up by Asia. Rias kept her expression calm, but she was fit to bursting with pride.

"Issei, your ability has added greatly to our chances of success. You've become a cornerstone member of our team, and will certainly change the direction of our fight with Riser. When the time comes, trust in yourself."

"I trust all of you, and I know we can do this." Issei smiled despite his exhaustion. Akeno looked around. Everyone was accounted for, but Lancer often hid himself in his astral form when he wasn't needed. However, her keen senses couldn't pick up on his presence nearby.

"I don't wanna kill the mood or anything, but where's Lancer?" She asked. The gathered Devils looked between each other. Rias was about to shake her head but suddenly did a double take.

"Um… he said something about going into the mountains…" Rias informed them. There was a brief silence.

Issei gulped, "You don't think that-"

Lancer lay staring at the sky flat on his back. The sky was beautiful. So big and blue, cloudless and unending. He could take it all in with no trees around to obscure his view. He lay there for some time. A noise caught his attention, and he looked when he felt something wet against the side of his face.

He turned his head and locked eyes with the piglet he'd been chasing. It stood there sniffing and snuffling, unperturbed by Lancer now. He didn't glare or bare his teeth, he simply looked back at the sky.

"You win pig. You win."

* * *

**Hi all, BrutalAftershock here. Took a while but another one is up. I find the idea of Issei feeling put out by a Servant being in the Peerage pretty interesting. He already felt worthless, so when someone who pretty handily outclasses the rest of them comes along, I can't see it doing too much good for his self esteem. But, I also like having Cu be a bro about things, though maybe not directly. Until next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

Hound Of Gremory

Chapter 3: Hound and Demon

Hyoudou Residence

Issei sat in the darkness of his bedroom, watching as the minutes ticked by on his digital clock. The Rating Game was just an hour away and the jitters were setting in. While he wasn't the most experienced combatant, there was certainly something that he'd quickly learned to hate. The waiting.

In previous battles, they began abruptly and without warning, giving him no time at all to think about his situation. All he could do was react and try not to die.  
But now he knew what was going to happen and the eternal march of time was slower than he remembered it ever being.

He looked at his left hand, turning it over to stare into his palm. 'My reason…' Issei had thought long and hard about what Cu Chulainn had said to him. Each time he thought about it, his reason boiled down to helping Rias. However, something about that felt wrong. More specifically, it felt wrong that he had no goal for himself. He wanted to have a harem, he wanted to be strong for Rias and his other friends, but that still felt hollow. He clenched his fist and frowned. Why couldn't he think of a reason for himself? Surely everyone else had one, right?

Before Issei could berate himself, he looked up when he heard knocking at the door. That knock was unmistakeable. As though she didn't want to hurt the door, Asia knocked softly.

"Issei, can I come in?" She asked. As far as he was concerned, she didn't need to knock. Well, most of the time. Still, she was just that kind of girl.

"Sure, come in." The door opened and Asia slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind her. She wore her nuns habit. He found that curious, but not at all unexpected. He found it hard to think of her in anything else. "Those clothes."

"Rias said I could still wear my habit. She said as long I was comfortable, it didn't matter." She said with a soft smile. "Do you like it?"

"Of course. Honestly you look good in whatever you wear." Issei replied honestly.

"Can I sit with you?" It struck Issei just how nervous she looked. She tried to hide it, but Asia wasn't one for conflict of any kind. To think such a gentle soul was a Devil. It raised a lot of questions, but ones for another time. He patted a spot on the bed next to him.

"Feel free." Asia sat close and leaned into him, holding his arm. He could feel her form shaking ever so slightly. Scratch nervous, she was terrified. "Asia?"

"The Rating Game's coming, isn't it?"

"Yeah…"

"But we'll win though. I feel like we'll be fine if I have you with me." She said earnestly. "Do you think… you could always stay with me?"

Issei smiled warmly, forgetting his internal struggle. Asia had always been like that for as long as he'd known her. She soothed pain both physical and otherwise just with her presence. There were very few other people he would want with him forever.

"Of course." Asia looked up at him with her green eyes beaming. They sat together in comfortable silence for a long time, simply basking in each other's presence. Just then, Issei's alarm went off and interrupted the moment. He stood and turned it off.

"Alright Asia, let's go and join the others."

* * *

"I'm telling you, Lancer, none of us saw what hit you." Rias said irritably as she pushed open the doors to the club room. Cu followed in after her looking rather annoyed.

"And I'm telling you, master, that I'm calling bullshit! There's no way no one saw that." He leaned against the wall behind her to the right once she took her seat at her desk.

"Maybe it was just your terrible luck? Have you thought about that?" Rias sniped. Cu grit his teeth but ultimately conceded. There was a more than probable chance his luck was messing with him again. Hell, it had happened before.

"Fair enough." Cu huffed. He crossed his arms across his chest. "So master, the others know we're here?"

"They'll be here soon. I let them know not too long ago." She idly began shifting and sorting papers from a previous meeting. A nervous tick perhaps? Cu had observed his master quite a bit while in astral form. She was calm and collected despite her fiery temper, and she kept a lot of what she felt hidden behind a strong and authoritative mask. Organising her papers was just another method that he had found she used to stay calm. She was nervous despite all of the training they'd done.

"We'll be fine." Rias' hands suddenly stopped moving. "You don't need to pretend you're not scared. If you weren't, you wouldn't have gone through so much trouble."

"Lancer?"

"You have a lot to lose, you know? Your future, your Peerage, your name. This Riser guy is coming to take that from you. You've got every right to be scared." Cu waited. Rias exhaled shakily.

"You're right. I am scared. I'm angry too. Someone I care nothing for is trying to take my life from me, all for reasons that are out of my control, and frankly have nothing to do with me." Her fists tightened. "All this for a name." She chuckled mirthlessly and shook her head.

"Well you don't need to worry now. I'm your Servant until you no longer need me. I'll keep that future of yours safe, I swear this to you on my honour." Rias turned her head to Cu, surprised. After a moment she smiled, reassured by her Servant. Cu Chulainn had never willingly broken a promise, nor let a master down. His legend spoke of a faithful warrior who would fight for his lord to the bitter end. Knowing his legend certainly helped her have faith in him.

"Thanks, Lancer. I mean it." Rias said gratefully. Cu smirked and leaned against the wall once more.

"Don't worry about it. It's why I'm here." He said with a shrug. He watched as the door began to open and Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko walked in.

"Hey Rias, hope we didn't keep you waiting long." Akeno said with her ever present smile. As if by script, she set about making tea for those present.

"Not at all. Lancer and I haven't been here too long at all." Rias replied. "We're just waiting on Issei and Asia now."

"How are you feeling Lancer? The way that mountain exploded, I thought you were done for." Akeno said as she handed Kiba a cup of teas. A vein bulged on Cu's temple.

"All of you know something, I know it." He groused. They all shared a look and shook their heads.

"Nope, sorry." Said Kiba.

"Totally drawing a blank." Akeno chimed in, clearly amused.

"Stupid mutt." Koneko said as she bit into a cookie. Cu took a deep breath in, then exhaled slowly. He could have sworn he felt a warp spasm coming.

"Tea, Lancer? It helps calm the nerves." Akeno held a cup out to him with a smile on her face. Cu eyed her for several moments before taking it grudgingly. He he immediately felt his irritation slip away slowly as he drank. He had to admit the tea was good.

"I'll let you off this time. But only because your tea is kinda good." Akeno giggled at that and moved on to hand Rias her cup. They chatted quietly amongst themselves, Rias herself only gave short, noncommittal answers as she was still absorbed in her worry. Cu had helped, but that was it. She cast him a glance as he spoke animatedly with Kiba and Koneko.

'We're going to fight something like him…" she thought, remembering their encounter with Assassin when she'd first summoned Lancer. Assassins were typically weak front line combatants, not shy about retreating when a fight started to go badly. But Archers were another issue. She'd studied Tomoe Gozen for insight into her personality and abilities, and she had felt doubt worming its way into her heart.

Tomoe Gozen wasn't the average Archer class Servant, far from it in fact. She was a proven warrior both in melee and at range, having reportedly butchered her way through brutal clashes between armies, while never slaying a single ally. Her arrows struck true with devastating effect, often tearing men apart or ripping through them like a high caliber bullet. She was said to have the blood of the Oni, granting her strength beyond mortal might and she was always a slip away from a rage fueled rampage. This was all hidden behind a carefully crafted and maintained mask of kindness and patience, cultivated with the help of her lord and husband Lord Yoshinaka.

However, try as she might, Rias just could only glean so much from a google search. It bothered her that she and her Peerage were going to be in direct conflict with such a being. Sheer power aside, Archers had the Independent Action skill, making her completely unpredictable. She would have a massive range advantage, so she could pick off her Peerage one by one. And then there was her Noble Phantasm. She had no idea what it could be or what it could do. Then again, the same could be said about Cu on Riser's side. She would definitely need to have him prioritise shutting Tomoe down as quickly as possible.

"Hey, sorry we're late." Issei said as he entered the room with Asia in tow. "It's almost time, right?" They sat down with Kiba opposite Akeno and Koneko. The Knight was checking over his sword, inspecting the blade for cracks, edge rolling or other such damage. Koneko tightened her gloves and flexed her fingers, while Akeno calmly sipped her tea.

'Everyone's so composed. It's like we're not even about to fight Riser.' Issei thought. He looked at Cu, seeing the Servant leaning against the wall behind Rias with his arms crossed and eyes closed. 'I doubt he's even worried at all.'

Once more the door opened and everyone turned their gazes to the people entering. The first In was Sona Sitri, long time best friend of Rias and student council president. She had black hair in a pixie cut, and purple eyes with glasses. Behind her was her second, Tsubaki Shinra. She was taller, but had similar features. Her black hair was long, ending by her knees.

"Pardon our intrusion." Sona spoke formally. She looked at her friend's Peerage clinically, though she was friendly with them. Her eye settled on Cu Chulainn, and she hardly heard Rias or Akeno greet her and Tsubaki. "I see, so this is a Heroic Spirit."

"Yes. Sona, this is my Lancer Class Servant, Cu Chulainn. Lancer, this is my childhood friend, Sona Sitri." Rias introduced the two.

"Yo." Cu said raising a hand in greeting. Sona nodded to him coolly.

"Not that I disapprove, but haven't you summoned a Heroic Spirit a little early?" Sona asked.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. As far as I'm concerned, I wasn't too far off summoning age anyway." Rias looked at Lancer, then back to Sona. "From what I've seen though, I'd have wanted to summon him anyway."

"Gee, master. Way to make a man blush." Cu smirked.

"I'm surprised. I've seen many powerful Servants in the employ of the Gremory Household. I figured you'd go for a Saber class, truth be told." Sona said.

"Well I did have to sneak in and back out, not like I had much time to browse. All in all though, I feel quite lucky."

"Laying it on a little thick there, master." Cu said scratching his cheek.

"But it's true. Who else can say they've got the strongest Lancer of any Heroic Spirit?" Rias countered, but there was something in Cu's expression that wanted to argue that point. "However, that's not what you came for, Sona."

"Indeed. You'll have to let me get a better look at your Servant. It won't be too long until I'm summoning one of my own." Sona cleared her throat and addressed the group. "As for why we're here, the match will be broadcast to the families of those competing. Tsubaki and I are here to help with that and to wish you all luck. With it being your first Rating Game, there's no way I could miss it." Sona explained. As confident as she was in her best friend, she was understandably worried. She didn't express her worry, fearing it would throw Rias off of her game.

"Well I'll do my best to make it a match worth remembering." Rias said with a smile.

Behind Sona and Tsubaki, a large silver magic circle expanded, revealing a figure in the center. There stood a woman of dignified bearing, donning a maid uniform with a long skirt. Her eyes and hair were steel grey, with the latter being long with two braids down either side of her face. Grayfia Lucifuge, the Strongest Queen and Rias' sister-in-law.

"It's almost time." The woman said. "I hope you're prepared, my lady." She, like Sona, looked at Cu Chulainn and regarded him curiously. She knew of Rias' little escapade into the Gremory vaults, but even though her brother hadn't been too happy about it, she was quite proud of Rias. To have one's own Heroic Spirit was a badge of office in a sense, or a coming of age ritual.

"It is good to see you've managed to even up the odds against Riser. I hope your Servant is up to the task." Grayfia said. Rias smiled confidently.

"I think he's more than capable of taking out Riser's Servant. We're ready to go when you are, Grayfia."

"Wait, where are we gonna fight?" Issei asked.

"Rating Game rules dictate that we fight in a neutral zone. Basically a separate space from the real world. Because it's not real, we can cause some serious damage, even burn it to the ground if we want to." Akeno said with a bright smile. That sadistic streak in her never rested.

"Hope it's big. Fights between Servants are hard to contain, and damage can be done even kilometers away from the fight itself." Cu said, stretching out a hand as Gae Bolg appeared in his grasp from wisps of red mana.

"You'll find that its adequate. The space is an exact replica the academy and five kilometers of the surrounding neighbourhood. Is that reasonable?" Grayfia replied. Cu shrugged as he stood straight, twirled his spear and grinned.

"Bit on the small side, but I'll manage." He was positively itching to get into the fight.

"I forgot to mention, Rias, Sirzechs will also be watching." Grayfia said. Rias rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Great. Brother dearest." She said flatly. "Not only do I have to fight Riser, but now the lord of the Underworld is watching too."

"Lord of the Underworld? As in, the Devil?" Issei asked surprised. Lancer also looked curious.

"Yeah what's with that? You never mentioned this at all." Cu said.

"I'll go into the details another time, but for now just know that my older brother is the Great Devil, Sirzechs Lucifer. He rules the Underworld and has done for a long time now." Rias seemed quite quick to shut that discussion down, something neither Lancer nor Issei missed.

They both recalled what Rias had said, how she was seen for her name and her position, never for who she was. Having it spoken about so casually likely soured her mood. Before anymore questions could be asked or Rias could stew on her stress any further, Grayfia opened up a second magic circle with which to transport the Peerage to the battlefield. They all stood on the circle and one by one, they were sent off to fight.

* * *

Riser's Peerage – Earlier

Tomoe Gozen seldom found peace with Riser Phenex as her master. She found him to be boorish and arrogant, a sleaze and a braggart. From the moment they met he had attempted more than once to have her join his gaggle of girls to languish with them. She rejected him brutally and clinically every single time. It irritated her further that the fool was willing to use a command seal to do so. She had quickly let him know why that was a bad idea. He hadn't stayed in a room alone with her since. She found that quite satisfying.

She sat in seiza, on her knees and hands on her thighs, eyes closed and meditating before the Rating Game. She had been granted private quarters, just like the members of his Peerage had. Luckily her quarters were a distance away from Riser's, an oversight on his part as a Master but a stroke of luck for her. She had considered if she was too harsh on him, after all, he was a scumbag, but he wasn't completely rotten to the core. He treated his Peerage fairly and without cruelty, granting them whatever they needed for comfort.

The Peerage themselves were pleasant enough. They tended to keep her at arms length, but she was fine with that. The only one she really got along with was Riser's younger sister, Ravel. She was a spirited girl, a bit snobbish but ultimately quite pleasant and respectful of the Servant. She wouldn't have minded serving her instead.

'Archer, the Rating Game is almost upon us. Come to my office, the others are already here.' Riser spoke through their link. She sighed quietly and stood. She was in no hurry to meet him, and decided to take her time. She opened the door to her room and was met with Ravel Phenex making her way there also.

"Lady Ravel." Tomoe said with a small smile. The blonde girl gave a polite curtsy with a greeting of her own.

"Hey, Tomoe. I'm guessing big bro called you to his office, huh?" Ravel asked. The two had established that formality wasn't necessary, however Tomoe, ever the samurai, stayed formal.

"Yes. It's almost time for us to face off against Rias Gremory and her Peerage." Tomoe affirmed. She almost felt bad for Rias, but such a thing was none of her concern. Her lack of numbers and Servant were just added advantages for Riser.

"Yeah, I know. Really don't wanna waste my time with it though. With you on our side we'll crush them so quickly we might as well have not gone to all this trouble." Ravel said with a sigh, twisting a finger through the end of one of her blonde drill curls.

"Perhaps. It's better to remain ready though. I've seen many an army crumble through hubris despite having the overall advantage." Ravel knew she was right of course. The young Devil was quite sure of herself, but she was humble in comparison to her brother. She was worried what Tomoe said would ring true, but she kept that to herself.

Ravel Phenex was never one for fighting or anything remotely physical. She liked to sit on the sidelines and watch the brutes club each other, all while looking for any cute boys. No luck though. All of the boys she found attractive were either weirdo perverts, battle fanatics, or a mix of both. She also kept her distance from the other members of Riser's Peerage, not really having any interest in them. She liked them well enough, but they were her brother's crowd.

Tomoe Gozen, however, she was something different. She wasn't some floozy like certain Devils she was surrounded by *cough* Yubelluna *cough*. Tomoe was dignified and strong, completely independent of her brother's advances and attention. She dearly loved and admired her brother, but it was refreshing to see someone roll their eyes and shake their head when the flirting started.

She and Tomoe had gotten along quite well from the start and would spend time together regularly. The older woman told Ravel of the battles she fought, and of Japan during her time. The young Devil found herself enraptured, hanging on Tomoe's every word and waiting for more. Ravel hadn't failed to notice that there were details purposefully and carefully left out of her tales. She knew better than to press her on them though as she respected Tomoe and her want for secrecy.

She quietly wondered if she could be like her. She was the youngest daughter of house Phenex, so perhaps learning to have some of Tomoe's cool confidence and patience would help her. It would certainly be fitting of a pure-blooded Devil. As they walked, she found herself standing a little straighter, and carrying herself a little more like the Heroic Spirit.

They reached the door to the office and entered, finding Riser leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk. Yubelluna stood beside him as his ever vigilant, and ever thirsty in Ravel's opinion, Queen piece. Around the room the other members were gathered, chatting quietly or waiting patiently for the match to begin.

"Ah, welcome. Riser is pleased that you have arrived in a timely manner. The Rating Game will begin soon and Riser would like to go over our strategy." The Phenex Devil said.

"My lord, wouldn't our standard strategy work? After all, our opponents are first timers. Rias doesn't have a Servant of her own. Crushing them will be child's play." Yubelluna said.

"You're correct, Yubelluna, But Riser is feeling sporting. Riser thinks a Rook offensive to soften them up and probe their capabilities should be our first move. They don't have much in the way of a defensive or offensive force, only having one of each piece. Add Rias and that's six units total." Riser explained.

"We mustn't forget who they are though, master. Each of them is quite reputable, save for the Pawn and the Rook, but even they have trump cards. Boosted Gear and Twilight Healing could present us with problems if not approached with proper respect." Tomoe countered, unimpressed with Riser's need for sport rather than victory.

"Do go on then, Archer." Riser said patiently. She had the attention of everyone in the room then.

"It is clear that Rias Gremory, though inexperienced, isn't a fool. She will play to her Peerage's strengths. Her Peerage for the most part is untested, but remember that makes them unpredictable." She paused, looking to see if they were listening. "Boosted Gear as of now is a wild card. Until we know what it can do, I suggest we go for an all out assault and finish the match as quickly as possible."

"An awfully boring way to win, Archer." Riser said rolling his eyes. Tomoe's jaw tightened for a moment before regaining her composure. The mask almost slipped as stab of anger shot through her.

"It may not be fun, master, but it will secure victory. Sporting, as you say, would be cruel. I suggest mercy and ending it quickly." Tomoe pressed. Protracted battle in any conflict was the cruelest form of war. The quickest, and thus most humane form, was ironically the most brutal. However, she knew her master would not be swayed. He was a proud man and made no effort to hide this fact, wanting to demonstrate his skill and power for all Devils. Utterly ridiculous.

"Make no mistake, Archer, Riser fully understands. However we must put on a show worthy of Lord Sirzechs, you see. That means we must give Rias the opportunity to show what she is capable of before taking the game. It is just how things are." Raise explained nonchalantly. Tomoe bristled.

"So it is politics then." She said, now seeing why he wouldn't budge.

"It is a formality. Do not worry, I will be merciful. We needn't be too harsh with them. To do so would be unfair." Riser smirked. Ravel alternated her gaze from her brother to Tomoe, feeling the growing disdain from the Heroic Spirit. She wasn't aware such a mismatch of Master and Servant could exist, yet there they were. She wondered what it would be like if she were Tomoe's master instead. They got along well enough, and Ravel was more prone to following what the more experienced woman suggested. She too didn't like the idea of drawing out a losing battle for Rias anymore than Tomoe did, and thought it was wrong of her brother to do so. Alas, entertainment and performance outweighed practicality and victory.

"Very well then…" Tomoe, not for the first time, acquiesced while feeling totally undermined. Every Rating Game had been like this, and all three were just a show to Riser. She briefly though that perhaps losing for once would change Riser for the better, perhaps bring out some of that goodness she'd seen just a small portion of that was hidden behind layers of ego and perversion. Oh well. A Servant could dream.

* * *

Present- Rating Game Arena - Rias' Peerage

As far as Issei was concerned, he might as well have not moved at all. There was a brief flash of light, some vertigo and that specific feeling in his balls when in a car going over a hill at speed. Though after all that, he was stood in the exact same spot he was before.

"What the hell?" Issei looked around the room, looking for anything that might be different or out of place. Asia was similarly confused.

"Is the magic circle broken?" She asked. She and Issei shared a look and shrugged as Issei thought he'd screwed it up somehow. The others seemed like their usual composed selves.

Kiba's look of passivity was gone, replaced by a mask of solemn determination. His grip on the hilt of his sword was the tiniest bit tighter. Koneko rolled her head and stretched her limbs, giving them small shakes to limber up. Akeno was as serene as ever, eyes closed and body relaxed. Ahead of them all was Rias, standing tall and ready, with her Servant dutifully by her side with his cursed spear ready to do its work.

Just then, Grayfia addressed the gathered Devils on both sides over a sort of magical speaker system from a place beyond the battlefield.

"Your attention please," everyone present listened, "Welcome, combatants and spectators, I am Grayfia, a servant of house Gremory. I will be the referee for this Rating Game."

"Taking suggestions from both Kings, this battlefield has been made into an exact replica of Kuoh Academy, a learning institution in the human world, and five kilometres of the surrounding town."

"What does that mean?" Issei asked. Rias cast him a glance.

"Take a look outside." Issei did just that, opening one of the windows to be met with an uncanny sight. Indeed, the academy was a still there, as was the surrounding town. However the sky above threw him for a loop. The sky was a swirl of black and green, like liquid held back by a ceiling of glass.

"This is an artificial space made for Rating Games. It's completely separate from the human world, so we don't need to worry about collateral damage or bystanders." Kiba said, noting Issei's confusion.

"Each team has been designated an area to server as their home base." Grayfia's voice came gain. "Lady Rias will have the Occult Research Club headquarters in the old school house. Lord Riser will have the Principle's office in the main building."

"As per standard rules, Pawns crossing enemy boundaries will be able to promote. As for Heroic Spirits, those present are: Archer Class Tomoe Gozen, of Lord Riser's Peerage, and Lancer Class Cu Chulainn, of Lady Rias' Peerage. Noble Phantasms will be limited and the use of Command Seals will be nullified within this space. Good luck to all."

From his base, Riser frowned, suddenly finding that matters had become a lot more complicated. He hadn't anticipated Rias summoning a Servant of her own, but he supposed that it wasn't an impossibility.

He rested a hand against his chin as he thought. Cu Chulainn. Now who was that? He felt like he'd heard the name before, but couldn't for the life of him remember who that was. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Tomoe looking at him. Perhaps she knew something.

"Would you happen to know anything about this Servant, Archer?" He asked. Tomoe nodded. Having fought other Servants in past Rating Games, she had spent some time learning about other heroes. It paid off to know one's enemy after all.

"I know a little about Cu Chulainn. He's a powerful Servant going by his legend, having many accomplishments to his name. He carries a cursed spear said to never miss its target's heart when used. He can use rune magic and is a superlative close quarters combatant. I would suggest caution." Tomoe said. While she suggested caution, she was also telling herself that.

"I see. Any specific details?"

"I believe I can be of assistance, Lord." Yubelluna said. She stood before Riser and bowed. "You have heard of the Greek hero Herakles, have you not?" Riser nodded, "make him Irish and you have Cu Chulainn. A bit reductive, I'm sure, but it has been speculated that Cu Chulainn his among the strongest Servants available to anyone who can summon him."

"Fascinating, Yubelluna. Anything else? Riser is sure we could all benefit from knowing more about him." Yubelluna smiled, more than happy to help.

"Thank you, Lord. Now, Cu Chulainn is quite versatile. As Lady Tomoe said, he can use rune magic, the 18 Futhark runes. Not only this, but he was taught in their use and how to fight by the warrior woman Scathach. Lady Tomoe's assessment is sound. He will be incredibly dangerous to handle."

"So it would seem we face quite the formidable Servant," Riser smirked, "no matter. We will need to adjust our strategy."

"I will draw him out. He will be reliant on close quarters combat, no matter his runes. I will target members of Rias' Peerage and get his attention out into the surrounding town, that will leave them open for your forces to deal with Rias, master." Tomoe said.

"Riser will leave Lancer to you. But remember, Archer, no eliminations. Riser still wants to put on a show, so it won't do to pick them off. However, do all in your power to make sure Lancer cannot wreak havoc on our side." Tomoe nodded before moving towards the window to look over the battlefield.

* * *

To Issei, the whole thing seemed simple enough. All he had to do was get into enemy territory and promote himself to a Queen piece, right? Their base wasn't even that far away either. Boost up a few times, avoid any fights and voila, victory. When he explained his plan, he was met with flat looks all around. At least Asia looked supportive, if a little hesitant.

"What?" He asked as the silence became deafening.

"I mean, that would be a good plan. That is if you wanted to get your ass handed to you." Akeno said, her tone kind but her words were scathing.

"Think about it man, Riser's most likely gonna try the same thing with his Pawns. We might have stronger individual units, but we can't forget that he has the numbers advantage. If anything, we'll be playing defense." Kiba explained.

Small magical beads were passed around. They were communication beads slotted into the ear so they could coordinate at a distance. With that done, Grayfia announced the beginning of the Rating Game.

Rias had her Peerage gathered around her desk, looking over a map of the school grounds. Rias found that trying to discern a viable route through to Riser's territory was going to be incredibly difficult. Any route they could take would lead them straight into the open, where she had no doubt Archer would be waiting to pick them off with her arrows. Add to that the resistance they would meet along the way, and they would be laughably easy targets for the Servant of the bow.

The only one who could realistically deal with Archer would be Lancer. Not only was he fast, agile, and durable, but his [Protection From Arrows] skill would make crossing the distance a simple matter. He would be key in securing a safe route for the rest of them.

Rias had to agree that Kiba was correct, and they would be forced to go on the defensive. She was confident in her Peerage, but she hated that Archer was such a counter to them, especially with her long range capabilities and [Independent Action] skill.

"Lancer. I'm going to need you to draw Archer into the town outside of the academy. After that, do whatever you need to keep her focus away from us." Rias said.

"Already got something in mind." Cu replied with a nod.

"What about the track field? If we sneak through the back, we might get the drop on them." Issei suggested. Cu shook his head.

"No king leaves his castle unguarded. If he's as experienced as we're told then he'll be expecting that."

The rest of the discussion went by quickly, and they soon established where they were going and who would go. Kiba would go out into the woods, Akeno was remain in standby as Cu drew Tomoe into the town. Koneko and Issei would head to the gymnasium while Asia stayed to support Rias.

Their tasks beforehand included setting traps as a defensive perimeter, while Cu set up a sensory [Bounded Field] with his runes. In the meantime, Rias knew it was time to help unlock more of Issei's potential.

* * *

Tomoe Gozen was already moving. She wished Ravel to be safe before leaving the school building to take up her position. She found a high rise building and trained her eye on the school gain an aerial view of the battlefield. She had to admit that the replications of Kuoh and the surrounding town were remarkable. The streets even had all of the signs, street lamps, parked vehicles, storefronts, everything. Even buildings that were being constructed with all of the necessary equipment were there.

'Doesn't seem anyone is moving yet. Where is Lancer…' she eyed the school with vision sharper than a hawk's. No movement would slip past her, and she knew there were very few enemies who could safely evade her arrows. She could see where the Pawns of Riser spreading out to push into different parts of Rias' territory.

Suddenly there was movement. Immediately she had an arrow drawn and nocked as she spotted two she recognised as Rias' Pawn and Rook. Adhering to Riser's orders, she made sure to fire arrows to scare them. She found herself struggling not to just take them both out and be done with it. Eyes widened, pupils dilated to take in as much light as possible, and her breathing ceased. With a whip-like snap, she let the first arrow loose.

* * *

Koneko stopped sharply and looked into the distance. Her eyes widened and she moved with speed she'd never had to muster before.

"Move!" She commanded as she ducked down, kicking back and knocking Issei onto his back as an arrow came whistling past, punching a fist-sized hole into the wall only an inch away from where Issei's head would have been. Koneko could hear more coming and quickly coiled and twisted her body to avoid several more arrows. Wasting no time, she grabbed Issei by his ankle and ran dragging him behind her before anything else came their way.

* * *

"Hmm, she's quick." Tomoe muttered to herself. She watched them hurriedly move past the equipment shed and slipped in to the back of the gymnasium. That salvo of arrows would have spooked them. Now she had made her presence on the battlefield known, with Koneko no doubt informing Rias of what had happened. Good.

She then trained her gaze on the old school house, where she knew Rias would be. She knew would waste her time trying to attack it, as it went against Riser's orders, and there was likely some form of protection over it. In either case, she had no intention of doing anything about that.

Right now her only task was causing enough havoc to lure out Lancer. She jumped from her perch and hopped from roof to roof to change her view. Soon she stopped on the end of the jib of a tower crane, higher than her last position.

She nocked another arrow, and waited.

* * *

Issei liked chainsaws. Issei also liked twins. Twins with chainsaws would have been great if they weren't trying to kill him.

He and Koneko had entered the gymnasium through the back after getting shot at from who the hell knows where. He tried to see who had shot those arrows at them, but they were either hidden or so far away that he couldn't see them. He wasn't sure which one was scarier.

Now he and Koneko were faced with three of Riser's Pawns and a Rook. He knew it would happen, but he still hated the fact they were outnumbered.

So there he was, being chased by the twins Ile and Nel, chainsaws swinging and hot on his ass. Koneko was doing a good job against her opponent, both were martial artists worth their salt who could body Issei if he got between them.

"Nowhere left to run!" Ile laughed as she swung her chainsaw down at Issei. He had indeed run up against a wall and had to quickly turn and backhand the churning blades of the chainsaw away with Boosted Gear.

'Here goes! If I don't fight now they'll chew me up.' Issei parried another chainsaw strike, Ddraig yelling 'Boost!' as he did. He felt a fresh wave of power course through him and he caught the next attack in his armoured hand.

"The hell? Let go!" Ile yelled at a grinning Issei. The chain teeth screeched and sparked against the metal palm of Issei's left hand. He squeezed, keeping the small girl from pulling it free.

"Sorry, but I don't wanna get turned into mincemeat." He pushed her off the chainsaw, not comfortable actually hitting any of Riser's units. They were pretty cute after all. From above, Mira came surging towards him with her staff raised, poised to bring it down on him.

"Forget about me?!" Mira yelled as she swung her staff down. Issei dodged it, but let go of Ile's chainsaw to do so.

"Dammit, what did I do to piss you two off?!" The Red Dragon Emperor found himself blocking and dodging, slapping weapon strikes away with Boosted Gear while taking glancing hits when he couldn't completely avoid them.

'Not fast enough!' Issei though. Boosting up again, he got the speed increase he needed just as Mira's staff was thrust at his throat and Ile's chainsaw cane snarling towards his chest. He bent back at the knees as both weapons sailed harmlessly over him. 'Ha! Sweet, matrixed that shit!' He then lost his balance and fell straight on his back.

"Honestly… I though you were about to do something cool. So lame." Mira said flatly.

"Seriously." The twins intoned.

"Ha! That's where you're wrong." Issei declared, raising Boosted Gear in the air.

"What?"

"While you were distracted with that, I've charged up for my secret attack." Just as he said that, Koneko finished up with er opponent and watched, curious as to what he was about to do. Issei rolled back and stood holding his armoured hand outward.

"Dress Break!" With that command, Mira, Ile, and Nel's clothes exploded into shreds of fabric as Issei's magic, well, worked its magic. The girls froze for a moment, sheer disbelief overtaking them before they dropped to the ground, desperately trying to cover their naked bodies.

"What the shit?! What just happened?" Nel screamed as her face turned beet red.

"Hey you freak, what did you do?"Mira shouted at Issei. However, he was far too busy standing triumphantly, absorbed in his achievement.

"It's all thanks to you Asia." Indeed he had spent several nights training with Asia in secret, honing a single almighty skill to defeat any female opponent. Many sets of clothing were destroyed, undies and all, but after nights of blood, sweat, and tears, one young man achieved the ultimate power of getting a girl naked merely by looking at her. Truly he had achieved the power of the gods. Absolutely an EX-rank Anti-Unit  
Noble Phantasm if he were a Servant.

Koneko had seldom felt such a feeling of utter disgust.

* * *

Cu Chulainn set about his work as the battle began. Making his way into town, he began scouting outbid surroundings, looking for vantage points. Of course Archer would be up above, but while she was busy taking shots at his teammates, he was free to set the battleground.

He could hear the various explosions as spells were exchanged between the two teams. He needed to be quick if his plan was to work. He looked up and saw Archer taking potshots at his team. Troublesome, but he had a feeling that if he kept a low profile, he could avoid being noticed by her. That was until an arrow blew up a car right next to him.

"Damn. Guess that's my luck again." Cu muttered, diving through the windows of an adjacent building as a series of arrows tore up the street where he was just a moment before.

"Ah well, just means she'll come to me." He placed his fingers against a wall and marked it with the last rune, Inguz. With the other three in place, Algiz, Ansuz, and Nauthiz, he only had to wait until he could spring his trap. He sprung out, shattering more glass on his exit. More arrows came at him, but they either veered off course or lost momentum entirely.

"What? I could have sworn those arrows hit him." Tomoe frowned as anything she sent at Lancer was utterly ineffective. He wasn't even trying to dodge them or knock the arrows away, it simply seemed like they were incapable of hitting him. "This isn't good."

She drew several arrows and nocked them, infusing them with her Prana causing them to ignite with magical flame. "Perhaps I don't need to hit you directly."

Streaks of fire came burning towards Lancer from the top of the crane in the distance. Sensing the danger, he twisted and flipped as they flew past him and exploded, tearing up the road, destroying vehicles and shattering the glass in all of the buildings on that street. The street behind Lancer was engulfed in flames.

He landed with his momentum as he kept running, now at full sprint. He had to admit it was clever of Archer to switch up her tactics and as tried to do area damage to him rather than directly firing at him. She seemed to quickly understand that there was something preventing her arrows from striking him, and the obliterated street was the result. Were he less durable, that might have worked.

More and more arrows came at him and he kept running as explosions shook the earth. To anyone else it would seem like a war had erupted, with scores of artillery and aircraft bombarding the surrounding cityscape.

He grabbed a car as he passed it and threw it far in front of him. The car exploded as it blocked an arrow. Lancer burst through the cloud of black smoke and fire and in one leap, landed opposite Archer on top of the crane.

"Lancer. I was wondering when you'd appear." Archer said, dismissing her bow in favour of her sword. "Your ability to avoid my arrows is commendable. Most would have struggled."

"Well it wasn't easy. When you started making them explode, my little trick stopped working." Lancer replied. "I'm Cu Chulainn, Lancer class Servant."

"I apologise for my lack of decorum, Lancer. You see, I am Tomoe Gozen, Archer class Servant and former general of Lord Yoshinaka. It may seem rude, but I prioritised tactics over manners." Archer said with a small bow. They may have been opponents, but that was no reason to be rude.

"Well I wouldn't worry about it. After all, we don't get summoned to talk." Lancer said with a shrug.

"But we are still honourable heroes, are we not?" Tomoe said. She had no real idea of whether or not Cu Chulainn was true warrior or not. For all she knew, he could be given to trickery and deceit, no better than a Caster or Assassin.

"It's easily forgotten, but I'm still a knight, you know. Honour's important, and an opponent without honour isn't even worth an introduction." Cu twirled his spear between his fingers, spinning the weapon lazily as they spoke. As he did, Tomoe made sure to keep her hand on the hilt of her sword.

She knew that this was a worst case scenario. Lancer was a physically superior fighter, and while her own parameters weren't something to scoff at, Cu Chulainn's were a fearsome blend of versatile skills and raw power. But more than that, he was just so damn hard to kill. He was stronger, faster and more durable, so he would be an absolute nightmare to deal with at such close range. Still, she wasn't without her own skills, and she was no slouch with a sword by any means.

What aggrieved Tomoe the most was his ability to make projectiles practically useless. If she were to use her bow, she would need to get creative.

"I believe we have talked long enough, Lancer. We're still enemies at this time." Tomoe said drawing her sword. Cu lowered his spear from across his shoulders, and his face went from friendly and amicable, to that of a hardened warrior.

"Just what I wanted to hear." He set into a low stance and whispered something under his breath. "[Ath nGabla]." Across several city blocks, a colossal red magic circle quickly spread overhead, casting a red glow across the battlefield. Tomoe looked up confused at this new development.

"What is this? I'd thought you above cheap trickery." She narrowed her eyes at Cu, who shook his head.

"It's no trick or trap. This is [Ath nGabla], a spell made specifically for duelling. It forbids either combatant from leaving the spell's area of effect. It's just you and me in here, and no one can interfere."

The whole crane shook as he moved with bewildering speed, cutting through the jib. It dipped low and began to fall. Tomoe grasped onto it as it tipped towards the ground with the groan and screech of tortured steel.

She looked up, and immediately Lancer was coming down at her in a downward stab like a red comet as [Gae Bolg] shone crimson in the ethereal glow of the strange sky above. She swung herself around on, grabbing on to the crisscrossing bars of the crane jib. Lancer had grabbed on also. He leapt up onto the side opposing Archer and thrust [Gae Bolg] through the bars. Archer evaded and parried, and with a final groan, the jib broke off from the rest of the tower crane, and began to plummet to toward the street below.

Both of them jumped off and in separate directions, coming to a standstill on rooftops fading each other. Neither were bothered as the wreck of metal crashed down below, shaking the ground and sending up a cloud of dust. A moment passed, and they resumed their fight.

Within a second, Lancer had leapt the gap between the buildings and was on the offensive, thrusting and slashing with [Gae Bolg] as Archer kept up, though straining her senses and all of her training to defend against Cu Chulainn's onslaught of attacks. Impact after impact sent shocks through her arms. Her hands began to ache and her arms burned with the strain of rapid movement and blocking the Hound of Ulster's brutal offense. Every now and then, she could clearly see his face. She could see the grin he wore.

How long had it been? She wondered in that moment, just how long it had been since her blood had been stirred like this. Rating Games were relatively clean affairs, rarely with any deaths or serious injuries. She'd never felt like she was in danger, and in fact she found them quite boring.

Avicebron, the master of golems had been her first opponent. He had been a formidable Caster, and in an unusual bending of the rules, he had become quite troublesome as he had been allowed the use of his golems. Numbers hadn't been on Riser's side, but due to Avicebron's master being quite inexperienced, he hadn't been used to his full potential. He had been quickly hunted down and eliminated by Tomoe. Riser then swiftly crushed the other team. It was a swift and merciful victory, but not satisfying.

After that had been Billy the Kid. It was interesting to face off against a Servant with guns. They were marvellous weapons, which she had admittedly dismissed at first. She didn't believe they required any skill at all, and thought that they lacked the artistry and grace of a bow. Personal taste in weaponry aside, she couldn't deny that the gunslinger was incredibly skilled. However, he too fell to her when she closed the distance and dispatched him with her sword. Yet another unsatisfying victory.

The third was the ill-fated Assassin, Jing Ke. She had been the closest to eliminating Tomoe of all of her opponents during previous Rating Games. She had done a good job of picking off Riser's units one by one. It was by simple bad luck that she, as she had in her legend, missed her mark. Jing Ke's fatal mistake left her wide open to a counter attack that cost her master the match.

But now, in this Rating Game against a young girl who had never competed before, who had in the opinion of many Devils, summoned a Heroic Spirit fit for someone much stronger or more worthy, she was being pushed back. She was fighting hard just to keep herself from taking a fatal blow. Her blood was beginning to boil. That cursed blood that coursed through her veins, that of the Oni, was begging for this fight.

She came out of her thoughts just as she saw the tip of Gae Bolg narrowly miss her face as she threw her head back. A massive burst of fiery Prana erupted from her. Lancer was thrown back and he rolled to a stand, slightly burnt as parts of his armour were blackened and his face was reddened.

Tomoe grounded herself, uncomfortable with that moment of panic. It was unlike her to do that, and it was even less like her to let her Oni blood gain an edge over her. Despite the discomfort of her Oni blood, excitement was pulsing through her, so much so that her sword trembled slightly in her grip.

"Wasn't expecting that. I thought [Mana Burst] was Saber class skill. What's with that?" Cu asked as he patted soot off of his armour. Tomoe took a shaky breath.

"You should know that I am not entirely human. I have demonic blood within me. As much as I hate it, it does have its benefits." Tomoe explained.

"No kidding, huh? Why do you hate it?" Cu asked.

"What? Is now the time for this conversation?" Tomoe was confused. Cu shrugged.

"I'm guessing there's some negative connotation along with demonic blood. You're a Japanese hero, right?"

"Yes. My blood is that of a human, and that of an Oni. Oni are by and large evil creatures who deal in cruelty. Rightfully so, they were hunted to extinction." She said.

"Hmm, but are you an Oni though? I'm half god but I sure as hell wouldn't claim to be one. I've always considered myself a man, and nothing more." Tomoe's expression soured. He didn't understand, and how could he? He was divine while she was demonic, and she knew which one she would rather be.

"Don't patronise me, Lancer. This conversation is over." This time, Archer went on the offensive. Her blade flashed with killing intent and clashed rapidly with [Gae Bolg]. Sparks shot out with each meeting of steel, darting about like tracer fire. With reflexes and training honed to their respective limits, both warriors seemed to dance. To an observer, it would be like a duel between gods of war, where each brutal attack and fierce counter could end the life of any mortal combatant with as little effort as breathing.

Lancer dropped his guard for a split second, and a kick found the gap and collided with his stomach. He flew back and off of the edge of the roof. Tomoe heard the shattering of glass and when she came to the edge, she saw a blown out window in the building opposite. She followed and entered through the broken window, sweeping her gaze around the darkened interior for her enemy.

The building was mostly empty inside, save for bare partition walls. There weren't any light fixtures or furniture or carpets. It seems almost no effort went into recreating the interiors.

"Not sure where that strength came from. Helluva kick." Lancer came out of the shadows. Bits of glass glittered on his armour and in his hair.

"I know you could have avoided that. You're faster than me." Archer said pointedly.

"I could've." He began approaching with Gae Bolg at the ready. He was on her in the blink of an eye, his spear locked with her sword. "But I feel like you're not giving me your all." He forced her back and punched her. His fist sank into her stomach and blood shot from her mouth while her eyes went wide. She was flung back out of the building and landed in a heap on the street below.

He jumped down and cast her a disappointed look. "I'm just gonna move on to your teammates if you're not gonna fight me properly."

Tomoe looked up at him with narrow red eyes. She stood picking up her sword and heaved a breath. It was true, as much as she didn't want to admit it. She was holding herself back. It happened every time she fought. She hated the blood that beat through her veins. She didn't want to call upon it, but if she didn't they could lose. But the thought of having an opponent just turn their back on her during a fight? Unacceptable. Her honour as a samurai and as Yoshinaka's general wouldn't allow it.

"I'm outta here." Cu turned his back on Tomoe and began to make his way to the academy. He was about to snap his fingers to dismiss [Ath nGabla], when Tomoe called out to him.

"Wait!" Cu stopped and looked over his shoulder, "Don't you turn your back on me. You're a knight, aren't you? Then honour this bout and fight me!"

"Why should I? You're not exactly being respectful yourself. Stop holding back. Whatever power you've got, no matter how much you hate it, use it." He turned his body to face her.

"Alright then. If it is the only way you will see this fight to its end, then fine." It was then that something about her changed. Her red eyes were set, seemingly burning like hot coals, and her body loosened as if losing all of the tension in her muscles. Her Prana stirred and heat haze surrounded her. Her hair fell loose as her ponytail came undone as the ribbon was turned to ashes by the flickering flames around her. The asphalt began to melt, bubbling and smoking where she stood. Suddenly, a pair of ebony dark horns shot up from her forehead and parted her bangs. Her blood was singing now.

"Hmph, bastard. You're making this fun."

"That's more like-", Lancer was cut off as a powerful blow sent him flying. Time seemed to slow as he briefly made eye contact with her as she burying her fist in his side. His body shattered wall after wall, and he finally came to a stop once he burst through the other side of the building he'd been punched through.

It was as he crashed through the final wall with the Oni-blooded Archer already bearing down on him with her blade against his spear, he grinned up at her and decided he was going to take Tomoe Gozen seriously.

* * *

Servant: Archer

Name: Tomoe Gozen

Gender: Female

Height: 162cm - 5'3

Weight: 50kg

Master: Riser Phenex

Bond Level: 1 (Never raised since her summoning years ago)

Place of origin: Japan - late Heian/early Kamakura periods

Alignment: True Neutral

Parameters:

Strength: C

Endurance: D

Agility: C

Mana: B

Luck: A

Noble Phantasm: B+

Oṃ Ālolik Svāhā - Mantra of the Aryāvalokiteśvara: B

A symbol of her feelings for Lord Yoshinaka. The culmination of her love, grief, and strength as an Oni. Takes the form of a large flaming bow that fires powerful arrows that explode like the sun. Tomoe likes to throw her enemies high into the air and shoot them before they hit the ground. Causes devastating fire damage and can kill with a single arrow.

Namaḥ Samantavajrānāṃ Hāṃ - The Arrow of my Overflowing Feelings: B

The flaming arrows she can fire during combat. The arrows act like a long range [Mana Burst (Flame)]. Can explode, and being struck can evaporate the target. Acts as an augment to her relatively unremarkable arrows.

Class Skills:

Independent Action: A

Unique to the Archer class. Gives the user greater autonomy from their master, making them able to move freely and operate with wore initiative. They can exist for a short while in the world if their master is killed or the connection between them is severed.

Magic Resistance: B

Nullifies mid to low-high level spells. Powerful Casters stand the best chance of cracking this resistance.

Mad Enchantment: E

She remains her usual sharp self, but the Oni blood within her takes hold. Her innate lust for battle comes the the forefront, serving to amplify her skills as a samurai. She enjoys battle when she cuts loose, remembering the feeling of twisting a man's head from his body.

Personal Skills:

Oni-Type Demon: B

A hybrid skill of many skills such as: Monstrous Strength, Natural Monster, Charisma, and Mana Burst. Typically Oni-Type Demon entails the use of flames, or heat based mana usage, such as Mana Burst (Flame). In Tomoe's case, it is uncertain as she dislikes using anything related to her Oni blood.

Knowledge of Melees: B

Unique to Tomoe Gozen, she is an expert at fighting within the crushing press of clashing armies. She can differentiate between friend and foe in the jumbled melee, and kill only her enemies. Can fight as a one-woman army.

Blood Excitation: A

A mental practice that Tomoe engaged in during her lifetime. Manifested as a Servant, this allows her to subconsciously amplify her abilities as an Oni.

Master Link Benefits:

Blessing of the Phenex: B

Has the ability to recover from mortal wounds similar to Devils of House Phenex. To truly kill her, one should aim to destroy her Spirit Core, which has also gained regenerative properties. Bypassed by certain abilities and Noble Phantasms. Only works in tandem with the use of Tomoe's Oni abilities.

Phenex Fire: C

Increased potency with fire based mana attacks. Gains a fiery aura that makes melee combat difficult for opponents with [Magic Resistance] of rank D and below. Rank C suffers minor damage over time with ranks B and up being unaffected.

* * *

**Hey all, BrutalAftershock here. Now, I wanted to make a couple of things clear before we go further into the story.**

**~STATS SHEETS ARE BULLSHIT~**

**I'm sure most of us can agree that stats sheets are pretty to look at, but don't really give us too much of an insight into what a Servant is actually capable of. I swear it's so inconsistent with what a stat can mean that a servant could bench press a house, then struggle to open a jar in the next scene. It's not that extreme but you get what I'm saying. **

**Perfect example: Arturia got absolutely bodied by Kuzuki, a normal human using his hand and his super unusual style of fighting. She got bodied, styled on, served, what have you. She's supposed to be a being at a level so high above us mere mortals that any comparison between us is utterly meaningless. Now don't get me wrong, I know the logic behind the conclusion of the fight with Medea buffing him, Arturia already being wounded and then caught off guard, and Kuzuki is already an absolute fucking monster as far as humans go, but I just found a bit silly. **

**As for fights between Servants, I'm going to ignore stats sheets for the most part and go with the Rule of Cool. Don't know what that is, look for it on TV Tropes. I'll be trying to make the fights more of a spectacle rather than go by who has higher stats or who has the cooler ability or whatever. That's incredibly limiting in my opinion.  
**

**What I find with a lot of Servants, especially since they're tied to FGO, is that we don't really see a lot of what they can do. More specifically, a lot of what their abilities do are super vague and are really only explained in terms of their function within a game. So with certain abilities, I'm going to write them how I interpret them.**

**I originally wanted to post one mega chapter, but I decided it was getting a bit too long and so I'll be writing a part 2 to this chapter.**

**To clarify [Ability Name] is a stylistic choice, it doesn't really mean anything.**

**Alright then, that's it for now. Until next time, BrutalAftershock out.**


End file.
